Hibbertia complanata

Hibbertia complanata is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory. It is a sub-shrub with two forms of erect, flattened stems, elliptic leaves and pinkish or creamy-white flowers arranged in leaf axils, with seven or eight stamens.

Hibbertia complanata
Illustration of Pachynema complanatum from de Candolle's Icones selectae plantarum quas in systemate universali
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Dilleniales
Family:	Dilleniaceae
Genus:	Hibbertia
Species:	H. complanata
Binomial name
Hibbertia complanata (R.Br. ex DC.) J.W.Horn[1]
Synonyms[1]
Pachynema complanatum R.Br. ex DC.

Description

Hibbertia complanata is an erect, rhizome-forming sub-shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and has two forms of stems. Shorter stems have many flattened branchlets mostly 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) wide, longer stems have fewer, much narrower branchlets. The leaves are elliptic with teeth on the sides near the base, 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) long on a petiole 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils on a peduncle 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. The five sepals are egg-shaped to more or less round, 3.5–5.5 mm (0.14–0.22 in) long, the five petals pinkish or creamy-white, broadly elliptic to round, 3.5–5 mm (0.14–0.20 in) long with wavy edges. There are seven or eight stamens and two staminodes arranged around the two carpels. Flowering occurs from March to September.^[2]

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1817 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in his Regni Vegetabilis Systema Naturale from an unpublished description by Robert Brown and was given the name Pachynema complanatum.^[3][4] In 2009, James W. Horn changed the name to Hibbertia complanata in the International Journal of Plant Sciences on the basis of phylogenetic studies.^[5][6]

Distribution and habitat

Hibbertia complanata is relatively common in savanna in well-drained soil in the northern part of the Northern Territory.^[2]

Conservation status

Hibbertia complanata is classified as of "least concern" under the Northern Territory Government Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976.^[2]

See also

• List of Hibbertia species