Opercularia vaginata

Opercularia vaginata (dogweed) is a species of plant within the genus Opercularia, in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia.^[4]

Opercularia vaginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Rubiaceae
Genus:	Opercularia
Species:	O. vaginata
Binomial name
Opercularia vaginata Labill. ex Juss.[1][2]
Collections data from AVH
Synonyms[3]
Opercularia multicaulis Bartl.

Description

Illustration from the early 1800s

O. vaginata is a spreading or erect perennial which grows to a height of 0.45 m on sandy, granitic and lateritic soils, and coastal limestone.^[5] Its green or green-yellow flowers are seen from July to December.^[5]

Distribution

It is found in Beard's provinces of Eremaean Province and the South-West Province, or the later classification of IBRA regions of Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie (biogeographic region), Esperance Plains, Gascoyne, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee (biogeographic region), Murchison (biogeographic region), Swan Coastal Plain, Warren and Yalgoo (biogeographic region).^[5]

Taxonomy

It was first described by Jacques Labillardiere in 1804 as Opercularia vaginata in de Jussieu's Annales du Muséum d'histoire naturelle.^[1][2]