View source for Biology:Androcalva cuneata

{{Short description|Species of tree}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = 
| image = 
| image_caption =
| status = 
| status_system = 
| genus = Androcalva
| species = cuneata
| authority = (Turcz.) C.F.Wilkins & Whitlock<ref name="APC">{{cite web |title=''Androcalva cuneata'' |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/236013|website=Australian Plant Census |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref>
|synonyms_ref = <ref name="APC" />
|synonyms = 
* ''Commerconia cuneata'' <small>F.Muell. orth. var.</small>
* ''Commersonia cuneata'' <small>F.Muell. nom. inval., nom. nud.</small>
* ''Commersonia cuneata'' <small>(Turcz.) F.Muell.</small> 
* ''Restiaria cuneata'' <small>(Turcz.) Kuntze</small>
* ''Ruelingia cuneata'' <small>E.Pritz orth. var.</small>
* ''Rulingia cuneata'' <small>Turcz.</small> 
* ''Rulingia hexamera'' <small>Turcz.</small>
}}

'''''Androcalva cuneata''''' is a species of flowering plant in the family [[Biology:Malvaceae|Malvaceae]] and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading, densely hairy shrub that sometimes forms suckers and has wedge-shaped leaves and clusters of 5 to 15 pink flowers.

==Description==
''Androcalva cuneata'' is a low, spreading, densely hairy, sometimes dense, suckering shrub that typically grows to {{cvt|2–20|cm}} high and {{cvt|40–100|mm}} wide.  Its leaves are wedge-shaped, {{cvt|5–20|mm}} long and {{cvt|4–14|mm}} wide on a [[Biology:Petiole (botany)|petiole]] {{cvt|2–10|mm}} long with narrowly egg-shaped [[Biology:Stipule|stipule]]s {{cvt|2–6|mm}} long at the base. The leaves are densely covered with white star-shaped hairs, and the edges are wavy or crumpled with irregular indentations. The flowers are arranged in clusters of 5 to 15 in upper leaf axils on a [[Biology:Peduncle (botany)|peduncle]] {{cvt|1.0–2.5|mm}} long, each flower on a [[Biology:Pedicel (botany)|pedicel]] {{cvt|1–3|mm}} long, with linear [[Biology:Bract|bract]]s {{cvt|1–4|mm}} long at the base. The flowers are {{cvt|5–8|mm}} in diameter with 5 pink, petal-like [[Biology:Sepal|sepal]]s covered with white, star-shaped hairs, and 5 cup-shaped petals, the [[Biology:Ligule|ligule]]s shorter than the sepals. There is a single hairy, egg-shaped [[Biology:Staminode|staminode]]. Flowering occurs from September to January and the fruit is a rounded capsule about {{cvt|12|mm}} in diameter.<ref name="Blake">{{cite book |last1=Blake |first1=Trevor L. |title=Lantern bushes of Australia ; Thomasias & allied genera : a field and horticultural guide |date=2021 |publisher=Australian Plants Society, Keilor Plains Group |location=Victoria |isbn=9780646839301 |pages=104–105}}</ref> 

==Taxonomy==
This species was first formally described in 1852 by Nikolai Turczaninow who gave it the name ''Rulingia cuneata'' in the journal, ''Bulletin de la Société impériale des naturalistes de Moscou'' from specimens collected by James Drummond.<ref name="POWO">{{cite web |title=''Rulingia cuneata'' |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77116381-1#synonyms |publisher=Plants of the World Online |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref><ref name="Turcz.">{{cite journal |last1=Turczaninow |first1=Nikolai |title=Generum adhuc non descriptorum |journal=Bulletin de la Société impériale des naturalistes de Moscou |date=1852 |volume=3 |page=151 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/181055#page/155/mode/1up |access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref> In 2011, Carolyn Wilkins and Barbara Whitlock transferred the species to the genus ''Androcalva'' in ''Australian Systematic Botany''.<ref name=APNI>{{cite web|title=''Androcalva cuneata''|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/726926|publisher=APNI|access-date=9 March 2023}}</ref> The [[Biology:Botanical name|specific epithet]] means "wedge-shaped", referring to the leaves.<ref name="Sharr">{{cite book |last1=Sharr |first1=Francis Aubi |last2=George |first2=Alex |title=Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings |date=2019 |publisher=Four Gables Press |location=Kardinya, WA |isbn=9780958034180 |page=174 |edition=3rd}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
''Androcalva cuneata'' grows in open woodland between Darkan and the Cape Arid National Park in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia.<ref name="Blake" /><ref name=FB>{{FloraBase|name=''Androcalva cuneata''|id=40912}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q17579649}}

[[Category:Androcalva|cuneata]]

{{Sourceattribution|Androcalva cuneata}}