Synaphea spinulosa
| Synaphea spinulosa | |
|---|---|
 |
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| S. spinulosa subsp. spinulosa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Synaphea |
| Species: | S. spinulosa |
| Binomial name | |
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Synaphea spinulosa (Burm.f.) Merr. |
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| Subspecies | |
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S. spinulosa subsp. borealis |
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S. spinulosa subsp. borealis
S. spinulosa subsp. major
S. spinulosa subsp. spinulosa
Synaphea spinulosa is a species of small shrub in the flowering plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia. Together with Acacia truncata, it was the first Australian endemic to be scientifically described and named, and the specimen upon which that description is based is the oldest extant specimen of an Australian plant, and very likely among the first Australian plant specimens ever collected.
Synaphea spinulosa grows as a small shrub with multiple steps up to 50 cm (19.5 in) in height. The leaves are deeply divided into three lobes, and each lobe is usually also divided into three. The ultimate lobes are usually triangular, and even these usually end in up to three sharp points. The leaf lamina does not lie flat but is concave. Overall the leaves are from 2 to 7 cm (1 to 3 in) long, and 3 to 7 cm (1 to 3 in) wide, on a petiole 0.5–2 cm (0.20–0.79 in) long. Flowers are bright yellow, and occur crowded together in spikes from 2 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) long, on a branched peduncle arising from the upper axils of branches.
Synaphea spinulosa bears the distinction of holding several 'firsts' in Australia botanical history. Together with Acacia truncata it was the first Australian endemic to be scientifically described and named, and the specimen upon which that description is based is the oldest extant specimen of an Australian plant, and very likely among the first Australian plant specimens ever collected.
Nothing is known of the original collection of the specimen, except that it was necessarily collected before publication of the species description in 1768. Prior to this, the only known visit by Europeans to an area where S. spinulosa occurs was the voyage of Dutch mariner Willem de Vlamingh, who explored Rottnest Island and the Swan River in December 1696 and January 1697 respectively. It is therefore very likely, but not proven, that the specimen was collected during that voyage, and thus predates by nearly three years the oldest authenticated collection of Australian plants, that made by William Dampier in 1699. It is known that Dutch botanist Nicolaas Witsen asked Vlamingh to collect plants for him during the voyage, and it is recorded that Vlamingh returned to Holland with plants, fruits, and wood samples. Furthermore, it is difficult to credit that far more abundant and showy plants would have been passed over in favour of the unremarkable S. spinulosa and A. truncata, suggesting that these specimens may have been part of a larger collection. However, there is no record of a substantial collection reaching Holland, and somehow these two specimens ended up at Java where they remained for over seventy years.
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Wikipedia