Persoonia longifolia

taxobox
name = Upright Snottygobble

---

image_caption = Flaky bark of "Persoonia longifolia", Wellington Forest, Western Australia
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
ordo = Proteales
familia = Proteaceae
genus = "Persoonia"
species = "P. longifolia"
binomial = "Persoonia longifolia"
binomial_authority = R.Br.|The Upright Snottygobble ("Persoonia longifolia"), also known as the Long-leaf Persoonia or just Snottygobble, is a species of tall shrub or small tree in the plant genus "Persoonia", reaching 1 to 5 metres (3-17 ft) in height. It is found in the Jarrah forests of southwest Western Australia. This species is characterised by its long narrow dark green leaves, dark yellow to orange flowers and distinctive dark flaky red bark.

Description

This erect shrub or tree reaches about 5 metres (17 feet) high, usually with few branches. Its dark green leaves are narrow and slightly elliptical, and can grow up to 220 millimetres in length. The distinctive bark is dark red to bronze colour with many papery layers which flake easily.

Snottygobbles flower over the summer months, with dark yellow to orange flowers that occur in short sprays. The individual flowers are 12 to 14mm in length with orange to brown hairs. The flowers split into four narrow segments which curl back to reveal the stamen. The fruit are green initially, but change to a yellow-green colour a few days after falling.

Distribution

It is found in the southwest of Western Australia from Albany to the southeastern edges of Perth. It occurs in the Jarrah, Karri, Marri and Tingle forest.

Ecology

Snottygobble is pollinated by native bees. it is also visited by the Western Brown Butterfly ("Heteronympha merope duboulayi").

Taxonomy

It was first collected by Robert Brown around 1801. The species name is Latin for "long leaf".

References

*" [http://www.naturebase.net/schools/pdf_files/pack_discovering_hills_forest.pdf Discovering The Hills Forest] ". Part of an Environmental Education Program on the Western Australian Jarrah Forest for Year 6 and 7 students. Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM). p 44.
*cite book|author = Wheeler, Judy | year = 2003 | title = Common Trees of the South-West Forests | publisher = Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) | id = ISBN 0-7309-6961-4
*cite book|author=Powell, Robert|year=1990|title=Leaf and Branch: Trees and Tall Shrubs of Perth|publisher=Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM)|location=Perth, Western Australia|id=ISBN 0-7309-3916-2

External links

*Flora of Australia Online|name=Persoonia longifolia|id=1914
*FloraBase|name=Persoonia longifolia|id=2267