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Lasiopetalum

Lasiopetalum, commonly known as velvet bushes, is a genus of about forty-five species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, all endemic to Australia.

Description

Most species of Lasiopetalum are spreading or prostrate, many-branched shrubs. Commonly known as velvet bushes, they derive their common name from the pubescent (finely-furred) nature of the stems, leaves and flowers. Their leaves are generally arranged alternately on the stems. The flowerheads are either axillary or terminal. The flowers are small, the five-lobed calyces are hairy and the petals tiny.

The genus is allied to the genera Guichenotia and Thomasia. The greatest diversity of species is in Western Australia, where 24 species are found, of which 8 are endemic to the region.

Taxonomy

The genus Lasiopetalum was first formally described in 1798 by James Edward Smith in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek word lasios "hairy", and the Botanical Greek petalon "petal", and refers to the hairy calyx. Lasiopetalum was previously classified in the family Sterculiaceae, however that family has been sunk into an expanded Malvaceae. Within the family, it gives its name to its tribe Lasiopetaleae, which contains about ten genera, located mostly in Australia. It is closely related to Guichenotia, although the exact relationship and genus delineation is unclear pending further research.

Distribution and habitat

Species occur in lowland sclerophyll forest and heathland habitats and are endemic to Australia.

Use in horticulture

The genus is rarely cultivated, although many species have flushes of attractive reddish hairy new growth, and several were cultivated in England in the 19th century.

Species list

The following is a list of Lasiopetalum species, accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at December 2020:

References

External links