Astartea
| Astartea | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Astartea fascicularis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Tribe: | Chamelaucieae |
| Genus: |
Astartea DC. |
| Species | |
|
about 22 |
|
about 22
Astartea is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus is endemic to southwestern Western Australia. The genus name was inspired by Astarte, the Greek name for the goddess Ishtar.
These plants take various forms, from dwarf shrubs barely 10 centimetres tall to small trees exceeding 5 metres in height. Some have lignotubers and some produce basal shoots. They are hairless and often glandular, sometimes with protruding oil glands on various parts. New stems are four-angled and sometimes winged.
The leaves are often arranged in fascicles, with clusters of leaves along younger branches. The thick leaves are narrow, often widest toward the tips, and are smooth-edged.
Most species have solitary flowers in the leaf axils. The buds are enfolded in a pair of bracteoles which usually fall away as the flower blooms. Most plants have five-parted flowers. Six-parted flowers may occur, and four parted, late-opening flowers may be produced when a plant is stressed. Layers of petals unfold in an opening bud, leaving the inner ones crinkled. A. arbuscula has the smallest petals, each about half a millimetre long. The petals of A. granitica are among the largest, each about 6 millimetres long. Each species generally has flowers either in shades of white to pale pink, or shades of pale to medium pink. Some individuals of A. arbuscula have deep pink flowers. Some plants have just a few stamens per flower, while others have up to 60. This varies across species, but also within species and even among flowers on one individual. A few species also have staminodes. The style elongates as the flower matures, and the tip is a dark red colour while the base is paler.
The fruit is a woody capsule. The fruit of some species is dehiscent, breaking open to release the seeds, while others are indehiscent. There are one to many seeds per fruit. Most are about one millimetre long. Species native to drier habitats tend to have thick-coated seeds. There may also be chaff.
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Wikipedia