Dicliptera maclearii
Encyclopedia
Dicliptera maclearii is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae
which is endemic to Christmas Island
, an Australia
n territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean
. Its specific epithet honours John Maclear
, captain of the survey vessel HMS Flying Fish
, which visited Christmas Island in 1886.
s growing to 1 m in height. Its leaves
are lanceolate to ovate, acuminate or spine-tipped, 20–70 mm long and 5–30 mm wide. It closest relative is D. ciliata.
of the island, including at Flying Fish Cove
and North West Point.
Acanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
which is endemic to Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. Its specific epithet honours John Maclear
John Maclear
John Fiot Lee Pearse Maclear was an Admiral in the Royal Navy, known for his leadership in hydrography....
, captain of the survey vessel HMS Flying Fish
HMS Flying Fish (1873)
HMS Flying Fish was a Fantome-class sloop of the Royal Navy, built at the Chatham Dockyard and launched on 27 November 1873. Originally intended to be named Daring, she was renamed Flying Fish before launch on 14 January 1873....
, which visited Christmas Island in 1886.
Description
Dicliptera maclearii is an erect herb with small pink flowerFlower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s growing to 1 m in height. Its leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are lanceolate to ovate, acuminate or spine-tipped, 20–70 mm long and 5–30 mm wide. It closest relative is D. ciliata.
Distribution and habitat
Found only on Christmas Island, it is common in places on the lower terracesMarine terrace
A marine terrace, coastal terrace, raised beach or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, mostly an old abrasion platform which has been lifted out of the sphere of wave activity . Thus it lies above or under the current sea level, depending...
of the island, including at Flying Fish Cove
Flying Fish Cove
Flying Fish Cove is the main settlement of Australia's Christmas Island. Many maps simply label it “The Settlement”. It was the first British settlement on the island, established in 1888. The cove is named after the survey vessel ....
and North West Point.