Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Hakea
Species: H. gibbosa
Binomial name: Hakea gibbosa
Synonyms: Banksia gibbosa, Conchium gibbosum, Hakea lanigera, Hakea tamminensis.
Common name: Hairy hakea, Rock hakea, Downy hakea
Hakea gibbosa is a shrub of the family Proteaceae native to southeastern Australia.
It has become an environmental weed in South Africa and New Zealand. In New Zealand, it has become naturalised from the Bay of Plenty to the Three Kings Islands.
References: Biosecurity New Zealand (2012) Regional Pest Management Strategies Database. http://www.biosecurityperformance.maf.govt.nz/
Its habitat is dry areas on banks, hills, ridges, roadsides and gumlands. It is a shrub with a dense prickly habit and grows up to 3 m high. The new growth and leaves are covered with fine hair. The leaves are linear and tipped with a very sharp point. The flowerheads, known as inflorescences, are axillary (arising from the stems) and are composed of two to six individual cream-coloured flowers.
Flowers are followed by the development of a woody fruit, or follicle, which is roughly globular and measures 2.5-3 cm long by 2-2.5 cm wide with a wrinkled or warty surface and a small beak. Each contains two seeds, released by the pod which opens after a fire or if the parent plant perishes. The seed is dispersed by wind or gravity.
The seed capsules
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
