Darwinia
Mountain Bells
Mountain Bells
Overview:
Darwinia, sometimes commonly known as mountain bells or simply bells, is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, endemic to southeastern and southwestern Australia
The majority are native to southern Western Australia, but a few species occur in South Australia, NSW and Victoria
Most darwinias grow to a height of between 0.2 and 3 m, and many are prostrate shrubs
Most have small, simple leaves and the flowers are often grouped together, each flower with five red, white or greenish petals and ten stamens
Common name: Mountain Bells
In many species, the flowers are surrounded by large, colourful bracts, giving rise to their common name
Conservation status: Some are Threatened
Some species in the genus Darwinia are threatened with extinction, being listed as Endangered or Vulnerable on the Australian National List of Threatened Flora
These include the Yellow Mountain Bell (Darwinia collina), Gillam's Bell (Darwinia oxylepis) and Abba Bell (Darwinia whicherensis)
Etymology:
The genus was named in honour of Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles Darwin by Edward Rudge in 1816
Flowers
The flowers are arranged near the ends of the branches and are usually surrounded by leaf-like green bracts and larger, usually coloured bracteoles
The flowers have five, usually very small sepals and 5 petals which enclose the stamens and may be white or coloured
There are 10 stamens which alternate with 10 staminodes, all of which are enclosed by the petals so that they are not visible in an intact flower
The style projects beyond the flower and has a groups of hairs near the stigma
Fruit:
The fruit is a non-fleshy nut which retains the (usually one) seed at maturity
Leaves:
The leaves are usually arranged in opposite pairs and are simple, small, needle-like to oval and contain essential oils
Stem & branches:
Roots:
Habit:
Prostrate to erect, woody shrubs growing to a height of 0.2 and 3 m
Habitat:
Distribution:
Darwinias are found in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia
Sixty of the roughly 70 species occur in Western Australia and 11 grow naturally in NSW
Additional notes:
Taxonomy
The genus Darwinia was first formally described by Edward Rudge in 1816 and the type species is Darwinia fascicularis
Rudge published his description in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London
There are about 70 species but many have not been formally described
George Bentham undertook a review of the genus in 1865 when he described 23 species in Flora Australiensis (although the species he named Darwinia verticordina is now known as Verticordia verticordina)
About 30 species of Darwinia have been discovered but not yet formally described
They have been given informal names such as Darwinia sp. Bindoon and Darwinia sp. Canna
Ecology
Land clearing and grazing practices have reduced the areas where Darwinia species grow naturally
Recovery is hindered by drought, changed fire regimes and susceptibility of some species, especially Gillam's Bell (Darwinia oxylepis) to infection by the oomycete, Phytophthora cinnamomi
Horticulture
Darwinias are difficult to propagate from seed but can be cultivated from cuttings
List of species
The following is a list of Darwinia species accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at December 2020:
Darwinia acerosa W.Fitzg. – fine-leaved darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia apiculata N.G.Marchant – scarp darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia biflora (Cheel) B.G.Briggs (N.S.W.)
Darwinia briggsiae Craven & S.R.Jones (N.S.W.)
Darwinia camptostylis B.G.Briggs (N.S.W., Vic.)
Darwinia capitellata Rye (W.A.)
Darwinia carnea C.A.Gardner – Mogumber bell, Narrogin bell (W.A.)
Darwinia chapmaniana Keighery – Chapman's bell, Eganu bell (W.A.)
Darwinia citriodora (Endl.) Benth. – lemon-scented darwinia, lemon-scented myrtle (W.A.)
Darwinia collina C.A.Gardner – yellow mountain bell (W.A.)
Darwinia diminuta B.G.Briggs (N.S.W.)
Darwinia diosmoides (DC.) Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia divisa Keighery & N.G.Marchant (W.A.)
Darwinia fascicularis Rudge (N.S.W.)
Darwinia ferricola Keighery – Scott River darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia foetida Keighery – Muchea bell (W.A.)
Darwinia glaucophylla B.G.Briggs (N.S.W.)
Darwinia grandiflora R.T.Baker & H.G.Sm. (N.S.W.)
Darwinia helichrysoides (Meisn.) Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia hortiorum K.R.Thiele (W.A.)
Darwinia hypericifolia (Turcz.) Domin (W.A.)
Darwinia leiostyla (Turcz.) Domin (W.A.)
Darwinia leptantha B.G.Briggs (N.S.W.)
Darwinia luehmannii F.Muell. & Tate (W.A.)
Darwinia macrostegia (Turcz.) Benth. – Mondurup bell (W.A.)
Darwinia masonii C.A.Gardner – Mason's darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia meeboldii C.A.Gardner – Cranbrook bell (W.A.)
Darwinia micropetala (F.Muell.) Benth. – small darwinia (Vic., S.A.)
Darwinia neildiana F.Muell. – fringed bell (W.A.)
Darwinia nubigena Keighery – success bell, red mountain bell (W.A.)
Darwinia oederoides (Turcz.) Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia oldfieldii Benth. – Oldfield's darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia oxylepis (Turcz.) N.G.Marchant & Keighery – Gillam's bell (W.A.)
Darwinia pauciflora Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia peduncularis B.G.Briggs (N.S.W.)
Darwinia pimelioides Cayzer & F.W.Wakef. (W.A.)
Darwinia pinifolia (Lindl.) Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia polycephala C.A.Gardner (W.A.)
Darwinia polychroma Keighery – harlequin bell (W.A.)
Darwinia procera B.G.Briggs (N.S.W.)
Darwinia purpurea (Endl.) Benth. – rose darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia salina Craven & S.R.Jones (S.A.)
Darwinia sanguinea (Meisn.) Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia speciosa (Meisn.) Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia squarrosa (Turcz.) Domin – fringed mountain bell, pink mountain bell (W.A.)
Darwinia taxifolia A.Cunn. (N.S.W.)
Darwinia terricola Keighery – Blackwood bell (W.A.)
Darwinia thymoides (Lindl.) Benth. (W.A.)
Darwinia vestita (Endl.) Benth. – pom-pom darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia virescens (Meisn.) Benth. – Murchison darwinia (W.A.)
Darwinia whicherensis Keighery – Abba bell (W.A.)
Darwinia wittwerorum N.G.Marchant & Keighery – Wittwer's darwinia (W.A.)
Sources of information: