Dampiera

Dampiera.

Family Goodeniaceae.
The 66 to 70 Dampiera species are all endemic to Australia including 5 in S. E. Queensland.

Most are perennial herbs with some sub shrubs.
Parts often have stellate or branched hairs.
The stems can be triangular or circular in cross section and smooth or with papillae.

Leaves may be in a basal rosette or alternate along the branching stems.
They may have no petiole, one under 2 mm long or the blade may taper to a narrow base.
Blade edges can be smooth, lobed or toothed.
Mature leaves may have no hairs or have dense white hairs especially underneath.

Inflorescences are terminal or axillary and a single flower or a cluster.
The stems have grey or brown hairs and the flowers are also hairy.
Flowers are 8 to 15 mm long.

The bases of the 5 sepals are joined and the lobes may be absent or 1 to 2 mm long.
The bases of the petals are fused into a tube that is split, almost to the base on the upper side.
There are 2 lobes in the upper lip and 3 in the lower.
Those in the upper lip each have an auricle below their lateral wing that lies around the style.
Lobes in the lower lip have wide wings.

Most flowers are blue, some are shades of purple while a few species are white, yellow or pink.
Hairs on the outer surface of the corolla can be grey, brown or yellowish.
They sometimes have a silky appearance and can be erect or lie flat on the surface.

The 5 stamens are inserted into the corolla tube and the anthers are fused to form a tube around the style.
The ovary, of 2 fused carpels has 1 (2) locule with a single ovule.
The style has a notched indusium, without hairs below the stigma.
The small fruit are typically a nut.

J.F.

Species