Telopea aspera
Encyclopedia
Telopea aspera, commonly known as the Gibraltar Range Waratah, is a large shrub in the Proteaceae
family. It is endemic to the New England region in New South Wales
in Australia
. It was first described by botanists Peter Weston and Mike Crisp in 1995, separate from its close relative Telopea speciosissima
by its rough foliage and dryer habitat.
The Gibraltar Range Waratah is a large erect shrub up to 3 or 4 metres (10-13 ft) in height with one or more stems. It has dull green leaves which are alternate, and are more coarsely-toothed than its southern relative. The inflorescence
s, which appear in spring, are large and crimson coloured. They consist of a large domed flowerhead ringed by bracts. These are followed by large seed pods which eventually turn brown and split open revealing winged seeds inside.
Proteaceae
Proteaceae is a family of flowering plants distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae they make up the order Proteales. Well known genera include Protea, Banksia, Embothrium, Grevillea,...
family. It is endemic to the New England region in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 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...
. It was first described by botanists Peter Weston and Mike Crisp in 1995, separate from its close relative Telopea speciosissima
Telopea speciosissima
Telopea speciosissima, commonly known as the New South Wales waratah or simply waratah, is a large shrub in the plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to New South Wales in Australia and is the floral emblem of that state...
by its rough foliage and dryer habitat.
The Gibraltar Range Waratah is a large erect shrub up to 3 or 4 metres (10-13 ft) in height with one or more stems. It has dull green leaves which are alternate, and are more coarsely-toothed than its southern relative. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s, which appear in spring, are large and crimson coloured. They consist of a large domed flowerhead ringed by bracts. These are followed by large seed pods which eventually turn brown and split open revealing winged seeds inside.