Zieria granulata
Illawarra Zieria
Illawarra Zieria
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Overview:
Zieria granulata, commonly known as the Illawarra zieria, hill zieria or hilly zieria, is a plant in the citrus family Rutaceae and is endemic to the Illawarra region of New South Wales
It is a tall, bushy shrub distinguished by the wart-like tubercles that cover the entire plant, its linear leaflets and small white, four-petalled flowers
Common name: Illawarra Zieria
Conservation status: Endangered
Zieria granulata is classified as "Endangered" under the Commonwealth Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) Act
The main threat to its survival is loss of habitat due to land clearing, quarrying, residential development and road construction
Etymology:
The name Zieria honours "John Zier, a Polish botanist, who assisted F.C. Ehrhart in his collection of plants of the Electorate of Hanover, 1780-83, and afterwards worked in London, where he died in 1793"
The specific epithet (granulata) is derived from the Latin word granum meaning "grain"
Flowers
The flowers are white and are arranged in groups of up to 180 flowers in leaf axils, each flower 3.5–7 mm in diameter
The groups are shorter than the leaves and the flowers have four glabrous sepal lobes less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long
The four petals are 1.5–2.5 mm long and in common with other zierias, there are only four stamens.
Flowering occurs during spring and summer
Fruit:
A dry, light brown capsule containing dark, reddish seeds about 2 mm which have an ant-attracting elaiosome
Leaves:
Its leaves are composed of three more or less linear leaflets, with the middle leaflet 15–40 mm long and about 1 mm wide with the other leaflets smaller
The edges of the leaflets have small teeth and are curved downwards
The upper surfaces are dull green, hairy at first while the lower surface in whitish and covered with soft hairs
Both surfaces are covered with tubercles
The leaf stalk is 3–10 mm long
Stem & branches:
The branches are covered with warty tubercles and the youngest branches are covered with short, silky hairs
Roots:
Habit:
Zieria granulata is bushy, aromatic shrub which grows to a height of about 3 m or as high as 6 m in ideal conditions
Habitat:
This zieria usually grows on rocky outcrops in shallow volcanic soils
Distribution:
It is only found in the Shoalhaven and Kiama districts on the south coast of NSW
Additional notes:
Taxonomy and naming
Zieria granulata was first formally described in 1863 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis, following a description by Charles Moore which had not been validly published
Use in horticulture
Illawarra zieria is well known in cultivation and is hardy in well-drained soil
It prefers semi-shaded positions but will grow in full sun, is drought hardy and moderately frost hardy
Light pruning is recommended to maintain a bushy shape
Sources of information: