Conospermum stoechadis


Conospermum stoechadis, commonly known as common smokebush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with thread-like leaves and spikes of woolly white, tube-shaped flowers.

Description

Conospermum stoechadis is an erect, compact, multi-stemmed shrub that typically grows to a height of up to. It has thread-like, to more or less linear leaves long and wide. The flowers are arranged in spike-like panicles with egg-shaped bracteoles long, wide and covered with velvety hairs. The flowers are white, and form a tube long. The upper lip is egg-shaped, long and wide and the lower lip is oblong, long and wide. Flowering depends on subspecies, and the fruit is a nut with woolly white hairs, long and wide.

Taxonomy

Conospermum stoechadis was first formally described in 1838 by Stephan Endlicher in Stirpium Australasicarum Herbarii Hugeliani Decades Tres, based on material collected by Charles von Hügel from the vicinity of King George Sound. The specific epithet is a pre-Linnean name for french lavender.
In 1995, Eleanor Marion Bennett described subspecies sclerophyllum and that name, and the name of the autonym are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:Conospermum stoechadis subsp. sclerophyllum E.M.Benn. has leaves that are woolly-grey at maturity, and flowers from September to December.Conospermum stoechadis Endl. subsp. stoechadis has leaves that are woolly hairy when young, later glabrous and flowers from August to November.

Distribution and habitat

Subspecies sclerophyllum occurs between Jurien Bay, Kulin and Wickepin where it grows in sand or gravel on sandplains in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain bioregions of south-western Western Australia. Subspecies stoechadis is widespread between Kalbarri, Bungalbin Hill in the Helena and Aurora Range and Lake Grace where it grows in sand and laterite in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Yalgoo bioregions.

Conservation status

Both subspecies of Conospermum stoechadis are listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.