Hakea

Hakea is a genus of about 150 species of plants in the Family Proteaceae, endemic to Australia. They are shrubs or small trees with leaves that are sometimes flat, otherwise circular in cross section in which case they are sometimes divided. The flowers are usually arranged in groups in leaf axils and resemble those of other genera, especially Grevillea. Hakeas have woody fruit which distinguishes them from grevilleas which have non-woody fruit which release the seeds as they mature. Hakeas are found in every state of Australia with the highest species diversity being found in the south west of Western Australia.
Description
Plants in the genus Hakea are shrubs or small trees. Some species have flat leaves, whilst others have leaves which are needle-like, in which case they are sometimes divided and sometimes have a groove on the lower surface. The flowers are arranged in groups in leaf axils and are surrounded by bracts when in bud. The flowers have both male and female parts and are borne on a short stalk called a pedicel. The sepals and petals, jointly called tepals, form a curved tube which sometimes splits open as the flower develops. The style is longer than the tepal tube and is curved before its tip is released. When released, the tip of the style is a pollen-presenter. The fruit of hakeas is woody and persists on the plant until burned in a bushfire or until the plant dies. The fruit then splits open to release two winged seeds.
Hakeas are similar to other plants in the Family Proteaceae, but have undivided leaves arranged alternately, sessile flowers arranged in loose groups in the axils of leaves or bracts, unlike those in the Banksia. Hakeas are similar to species of Grevillea but are distinguished from them in having persistent, woody fruits. (Those of grevilleas are not persistent and not woody. The upper and lower surfaces of the leaves of hakeas are similar (dissimilar in grevilleas), and the ovary and style are glabrous (but hairy in grevilleas).
Taxonomy and naming
The genus Hakea was first formally described in 1797 by Heinrich Schrader and Johann Christoph Wendland and the description was published in Sertum Hannoveranum. The genus is named after Baron Christian Ludwig von Hake, an 18th-century German patron of botany.
Distribution
Species of hakea are found in all states of Australia.
Horticulture
Hakeas are popular ornamental plants in gardens in Australia, and in many locations are as common as grevilleas and banksias. Several hybrids and cultivars have been developed, including Hakea 'Burrendong Beauty'. They are best grown in beds of light soil which are watered but still well drained.
Some showy western species, such as Hakea multilineata, H. francisiana and H. bucculenta, require grafting onto hardy stock such as Hakea salicifolia for growing in more humid climates, as they are sensitive to dieback.
Many species, particularly eastern Australian species, are notable for their hardiness, to the point they have become weedy. Hakea gibbosa, H. sericea, and H. drupacea (previously H. suaveolens) have been weeds in South Africa, Hakea laurina has become naturalized in the eastern states of Australia and is considered an environmental weed, and Hakea salicifolia, Hakea gibbosa, and Hakea sericea are invasive weeds in New Zealand.
List of species
The following is a list of Hakea species recognised by the Australian Plant Census, except for Hakea asperma which is recognised by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria:
Hakea actites W.R.Barker – mulloway needlebush, wallum hakea
Hakea aculeata A.S.George – column hakea
Hakea acuminata Haegi
Hakea adnata R.Br.
Hakea aenigma W.R.Barker & Haegi – enigma hakea
Hakea ambigua Meisn.
Hakea amplexicaulis R.Br. – prickly hakea
Hakea anadenia Haegi
Hakea arborescens R.Br. – common hakea, yellow hakea
Hakea archaeoides W.R.Barker
Hakea asperma Molyneux & Forrester – native dog hakea
Hakea auriculata Meisn.
Hakea bakeriana F.Muell. & Maiden
Hakea baxteri R.Br. – fan hakea
Hakea bicornata R.M.Barker
Hakea brachyptera Meisn. – short-winged hakea
Hakea brownii Meisn. – fan-leaf hakea
Hakea bucculenta C.A.Gardner – red pokers
Hakea candolleana Meisn.
Hakea carinata F.Muell. ex Meisn.
Hakea ceratophylla (Sm.) R.Br. – horned-leaf hakea, staghorn hakea
Hakea chordophylla F.Muell. – bootlace oak, bootlace tree, corkwood, bull oak
Hakea chromatropa A.S.George & R.M.Barker
Hakea cinerea R.Br.
Hakea circumalata Meisn.
Hakea clavata Labill. – coastal hakea
Hakea collina C.T.White
Hakea commutata F.Muell.
Hakea conchifolia Hook.f. – shell-leaved hakea
Hakea constablei L.A.S.Johnson
Hakea corymbosa R.Br. – cauliflower hakea
Hakea costata Meisn. – ribbed hakea
Hakea cristata R.Br.
Hakea cucullata R.Br. – hood-leaved hakea, scallop hakea
Hakea cyclocarpa Lindl. – ramshorn hakea
Hakea cycloptera R.Br.
Hakea cygna Lamont
Hakea cygna Lamont subsp. cygna – swan-fruit hakea
Hakea cygna subsp. needlei Lamont
Hakea dactyloides Gaertn. – finger hakea
Hakea decurrens R.Br.
Hakea decurrens R.Br. subsp. decurrens
Hakea decurrens subsp. physocarpa W.R.Barker
Hakea decurrens subsp. platytaenia W.R.Barker
Hakea denticulata R.Br. – stinking Roger
Hakea divaricata L.A.S.Johnson – needlewood, corkbark tree, fork-leaved corkwood
Hakea dohertyi Haegi
Hakea drupacea (C.F.Gaertn.) Roem. & Schult.
Hakea ednieana Tate – Flinders Range hakea, yandena
Hakea elliptica (Sm.) R.Br. – oval-leaf hakea
Hakea eneabba Haegi
Hakea epiglottis Labill.
Hakea epiglottis Labill. subsp. epiglottis
Hakea epiglottis subsp. milliganii (Meisn.) R.M.Barker
Hakea erecta Lamont
Hakea eriantha R.Br. – tree hakea
Hakea erinacea Meisn. – hedgehog hakea, porcupine hakea
Hakea eyreana (S.Moore) McGill – straggly corkbark
Hakea falcata R.Br. – sickle hakea
Hakea ferruginea Sweet
Hakea flabellifolia Meisn. – fan-leaved hakea, wedge hakea
Hakea florida R.Br.
Hakea florulenta Meisn.
Hakea francisiana F.Muell. – emu tree, grass-leaf hakea, bottlebrush hakea
Hakea fraseri R.Br. – corkwood oak
Hakea gibbosa (Sm.) Cav. – hairy hakea, rock hakea
Hakea gilbertii Kippist
Hakea grammatophylla (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
Hakea hastata Haegi
Hakea hookeriana Meisn. – Barren Range hakea
Hakea horrida R.M.Barker
Hakea ilicifolia R.Br.
Hakea incrassata R.Br. – marble hakea
Hakea invaginata B.L.Burtt
Hakea ivoryi F.M.Bailey – Ivory's hakea, corkwood, corkbark tree
Hakea kippistiana Meisn.
Hakea laevipes Gand.
Hakea laevipes subsp. graniticola Haegi
Hakea laevipes Gand. subsp. laevipes
Hakea lasiantha R.Br. – woolly-flowered hakea
Hakea lasianthoides Rye
Hakea lasiocarpha R.Br. – long-styled hakea
Hakea laurina R.Br. – kodjet, pin-cushion hakea, emu bush
Hakea lehmanniana Meisn. – blue hakea
Hakea leucoptera R.Br. – silver needlewood, needle hakea, pin bush, water tree, booldoobah
Hakea leucoptera R.Br. subsp. leucoptera
Hakea leucoptera subsp. sericipes W.R.Barker
Hakea linearis R.Br.
Hakea lissocarpha R.Br. – honey bush, honeybush hakea
Hakea lissosperma R.Br. – needle bush, mountain needlewood
Hakea longiflora (Benth.) R.M.Barker
Hakea loranthifolia Meisn.
Hakea lorea (R.Br.) R.Br. – bootlace oak, cork tree
Hakea lorea subsp. borealis W.R.Barker
Hakea lorea (R.Br.) R.Br. subsp. lorea Hakea maconochieana Haegi
Hakea macraeana F.Muell. – willow needlewood, Macrae's hakea
Hakea macrocarpa A.Cunn. ex R.Br. – dogwood hakea
Hakea macrorrhyncha W.R.Barker
Hakea marginata R.Br.
Hakea megadenia R.M.Barker
Hakea megalosperma Meisn. – Lesueur hakea
Hakea meisneriana Kippist
Hakea microcarpa R.Br. – small-fruit hakea
Hakea minyma Maconochie
Hakea mitchellii Meisn.
Hakea multilineata Meisn. – grass-leaf hakea
Hakea myrtoides Meisn. – myrtle hakea
Hakea neospathulata (formerly spathulata)
Hakea neurophylla Meisn. – pink-flowered hakea
Hakea newbeyana R.M.Barker
Hakea nitida R.Br. – frog hakea, shining hakea
Hakea nodosa R.Br. – yellow hakea
Hakea obliqua R.Br. – needles and corks
Hakea obliqua R.Br. subsp. obliqua Hakea obliqua subsp. parviflora R.M.Barker
Hakea obtusa Meisn.
Hakea ochroptera W.R.Barker
Hakea oldfieldii Benth.
Hakea oleifolia (Sm.) R.Br. – dungyn, olive-leaf hakea
Hakea oligoneura K.A.Sheph. & R.M.Barker
Hakea orthorrhyncha F.Muell. – bird beak hakea
Hakea orthorrhyncha var. filiformis F.Muell. ex Benth.
Hakea orthorrhyncha F.Muell. ex Benth. var. orthorrhyncha Hakea pachyphylla Sieber ex Spreng.
Hakea pandanicarpa R.Br.
Hakea pandanicarpa subsp. crassifolia (Meisn.) R.M.Barker
Hakea pandanicarpaR.Br. subsp. pandanicarpa Hakea pedunculata F.Muell.
Hakea pendens R.M.Barker
Hakea persiehana F.Muell.
Hakea petiolaris Meisn. – sea-urchin hakea
Hakea petiolaris subsp. angusta Haegi
Hakea petiolaris Meisn. subsp. petiolaris Hakea petiolaris subsp. trichophylla Haegi
Hakea platysperma Hook. – cricket ball hakea, woody peach
Hakea polyanthema Diels
Hakea preissii Meisn. – needle tree, needle bush, Christmas hakea
Hakea pritzelii Diels
Hakea propinqua A.Cunn.
Hakea prostrata R.Br. – harsh hakea
Hakea psilorrhyncha R.M.Barker
Hakea pulvinifera L.A.S.Johnson
Hakea purpurea Hook.
Hakea pycnoneura Meisn.
Hakea recurva Meisn. – djarnokmurd
Hakea recurva subsp. arida (Diels) W.R.Barker & R.M.Barker
Hakea recurva Meisn. subsp. recurva Hakea repullulans H.M.Lee
Hakea rhombales F.Muell. – walukara
Hakea rigida C.A.Gardner ex Haegi
Hakea rostrata F.Muell. ex Meisn.
Hakea rugosa R.Br. – wrinkled hakea
Hakea ruscifolia Labill. – candle hakea
Hakea salicifolia (Vent.) B.L.Burtt – willow-leaved hakea
Hakea salicifolia subsp. angustifolia (A.A.Ham.) W.R.Barker
Hakea salicifolia (Vent.) B.L.Burtt subsp. salicifolia Hakea scoparia Meisn.
Hakea scoparia Meisn. subsp. scoparia Hkea scoparia subsp. trycherica Haegi
Hakea sericea Schrad. & J.C.Wendl. – needlebush, silky hakea
Hakea smilacifolia Meisn.
Hakea standleyensis Maconochie
Hakea stenocarpa R.Br.
Hakea stenophylla A.Cunn. ex R.Br.
Hakea stenophylla subsp. notialis R.M.Barker
Hakea stenophylla A.Cunn. ex R.Br. subsp. stenophylla
Hakea strumosa Meisn.
Hakea subsulcata Meisn.
Hakea sulcata R.Br.
Hakea tephrosperma R.Br. – hooked needlewood
Hakea teretifolia (Salisb.) Britten – dagger hakea
Hakea teretifolia subsp. hirsuta (Endl.) R.M.Barker
Hakea teretifolia (Salisb.) Britten subsp. teretifolia
Hakea trifurcata (Sm.) R.Br. – two-leaf, two-leaved hakea, kerosine bush
Hakea trineura F.Muell. F.Muell.
Hakea tuberculata R.Br.
Hakea ulicina R.Br. - furze hakea (W.A.)
Hakea undulata R.Br. – wavy-leaved hakea
Hakea varia R.Br. –variable-leaved hakea
Hakea verrucosa F.Muell.
Hakea victoria J.Drumm. – lantern hakea, royal hakea
Hakea vittata R.Br.
References
Further reading
External links
The Hakea Page: index Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants
Proteaceae genera
Proteales of Australia
Endemic flora of Australia