Regelia velutina
| Regelia velutina | |
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| Regelia velutina in the Peter Francis Points Arboretum, Coleraine, Victoria | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Regelia |
| Species: | R. velutina |
| Binomial name | |
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Regelia velutina (Turcz.) C.A.Gardner |
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| Synonyms | |
Melaleuca velutina (Turcz.) Craven & R.D.Edwards
Regelia velutina, commonly known as Barrens regelia, a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a large shrub with greyish green, velvety leaves and large clusters of brilliant red to orange flowers on the ends of its branches in spring and summer.
Regelia velutina is a large shrub, sometimes a small tree growing to a height of 6 m (20 ft), with long, straight stems. Its leaves, which are up to 13 mm (0.51 in) long are arranged in alternating pairs (decussate) so that they make four rows along the stems.
The flowers are reddish-orange, sometimes yellow, and arranged in almost spherical heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. There are 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 bundles of stamens in each flower. Flowering occurs from September to November, sometimes to February and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules.
The species was first formally described by Russian botanist, Nikolai Turczaninow in 1852 who named it Beaufortia velutina. In 1964, the Australian botanist Charles Austin Gardner transferred it to the genus Regelia. The specific epithet (velutina) is a Latin word meaning "velvety".
Regelia velutina grows in sandy soil in rocky areas in the Avon Wheatbelt and Esperance Plains biogeographic regions.
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Wikipedia