Adenanthos pungens

Adenanthos pungens, the spiky adenanthos, is a species of shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.^[2]

Adenanthos pungens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Adenanthos
Section:	Adenanthos sect. Adenanthos
Species:	A. pungens
Binomial name
Adenanthos pungens Meisn.[1]

Adenanthos pungens ssp. effusus.

Description

The species may be prostrate or erect in habit. The stiff, prickly and terete leaves are 30 mm in length and 1 to 2 mm in diameter. The flowers appear in clusters at the ends of the branchlets. These have a 30 mm long perianth which is either pale pink and cream or deeper pink. Styles are about 40 mm long, with or without hairs at the tips.^[3]

The species was first formally described in 1845 in Plantae Preissianae by Carl Meissner.^[1]

Subspecies

There are two recognised subspecies:

• A. pungens subsp. effusus - erect habit with dark pink flowers.^[3]
• A. pungens subsp. pungens - prostrate habit with pale pink flowers.^[3]

Both subspecies are highly susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi dieback.^[4]