Plants in my Garden
By Mike Beamish
Species: Petrophile squamata.
Family: Proteaceae.
Derivation:
Petrophile: From the Greek petros, meaning ‘rock’, with the suffix phileo, meaning ‘to love’, thus rock lover.
squamata: From the Latin squama, meaning a scale (as on a fish or snake). Botanically, squamate means having small, scale-like leaves or bracts.
Common Name: None.
Distribution: The south-west of Western Australia, widespread from Perth and Northam south and east to Israelite Bay.
Description: An erect shrub to roughly 1.5m tall and broad with rigid, prickly leaves to 7cm long. The leaves are once or twice ternately (into threes) divided, forming broadly linear and sharply pointed lobes. Small, creamy-yellow flowering cones about 10mm in diameter appear in the leaf axils in spring, with individual hairy, yellow flowers to 10mm long.
Opinion: I always worry about WA plants in my garden, as Boolarra conditions of heavy soils and cold and wet climate are very different from their homelands. This one seems to be coping ok at the moment, it has been in the northern nature-strip bed for four years now, has doubled in size and has even flowered for me. I am expecting it to drop dead every time we have a humid spell or a summer thunderstorm, but so far so good. I selected its’ position in the hope that it would get sufficient light and warmth from its’ northern aspect, while its’ neighbours and some agricultural drains underneath it would prevent wet feet. Recently I had to take a branch out of the overhead Giant Candles Banksia, letting in even more light and warmth, so now I am worried that a hot summer will cook it. Hopefully, its’ advertised characteristics of a liking for sunny sites and hardiness over dry periods will see it through.
The Australian Plants Society Latrobe Valley Group hosts monthly activities, excursions and /or meetings. Interested persons are welcome to join in, please contact Mike for more information, email mcandcjb@gmail.com or phone 0447 452 755.
Sources: Elliot & Jones - Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants, Volume 7.
Wrigley & Fagg - Banksias, Waratahs & Grevilleas, etc.
Sharr - WA Plant Names and their Meanings.