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Long leaf smokebush
	In Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Conospermum
Species:	C. longifolium
Binomial name
	Conospermum longifolium; Sm.
Synonyms
	Conospermum longifolium var. intermedium Meisn. nom. illeg., nom. superfl.; Conospermum scolopendrinum Gand.; Conospermum smithii Pers. nom. inval.;

Conospermum longifolium, commonly known as the long leaf smokebush,^[2] is a species of flowering plant of the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a dense shrub or undershrub with linear to narrowly lance-shaped leaves, panicles of white flowers and velvety, cream-coloured to dark brown nuts.

Description

Conospermum longifolium is a dense shrub or undershrub that typically grows to a height of up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and is covered with fine hairs. The leaves are linear to narrowly lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 35–190 mm (1.4–7.5 in) long and 1–27 mm (0.039–1.063 in) wide, glabrous and sessile. The flowers are arranged in panicles of up to 4 flowers on a peduncle 100–250 mm (3.9–9.8 in) long with glabrous, egg-shaped bracteoles 1.6–3.8 mm (0.063–0.150 in) long and 1.0–2.5 mm (0.039–0.098 in) wide. The perianth is white, forming a tube 1.7–6 mm (0.067–0.236 in) long. The upper lip is egg-shaped, 1.5–3.5 mm (0.059–0.138 in) long and 1.8–2.5 mm (0.071–0.098 in) wide, the lower lip joined for 1.2–2.5 mm (0.047–0.098 in) with elliptic lobes 1.5–2.6 mm (0.059–0.102 in) long and 0.8–1 mm (0.031–0.039 in) wide. Flowering occurs in spring, and the fruit is a hairy cream-coloured to dark brown nut 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long with golden hairs.^[2]^[3]

Taxonomy

Conospermum longifolium was first formally described in 1806 by James Edward Smith in his book, Exotic Botany, from a specimen collected from Port Jackson.^[4]^[5] The specific epithet (longifolium) means 'long-flowered'.^[6]

In 1975, Lawrie Johnson and Donald McGillivray described 3 subspecies of C. longifolium in the journal Telopea, and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Conospermum longifolium subsp. angustifolium (Meisn.) Lawrie Johnson & McGill.^[7] has linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves less than 4 mm (0.16 in) wide.^[8]^[9]
Conospermum longifolium Sm. subsp. longifolium^[10] has spatula-shaped to narrowly egg-shaped leaves more than 8 mm (0.31 in) wide.^[8]^[11]
Conospermum longifolium subsp. mediale L.A.S.Johnson & McGill.^[12] has linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves more than 4 mm (0.16 in) wide.^[8]^[13]

Distribution and habitat

Long leaf smokebush grows in forest, woodland and heath on sandy soils on the coast and ranges of New South Wales between Newcastle, New South Wales and Ulladulla.^[2] Subspecies angustifolium is restricted to an area between Waterfall and Appin,^[9] subsp. longifolium mainly in coastal area between Port Jackson and Lake Conjola^[11] and subp. mediale mainly in the Blue Mountains between Putty and Moss Vale.^[13]

References

^ ^a ^b "Conospermum longifolium". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Mackay, David. "Conospermum longifolium". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ Bennett, Eleanor M. "Conospermum longifolium". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ "Conospermum longifolium". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ Smith, James Edward (1806). Exotic Botany. Vol. 2. Fleet Street, London: R. Taylor & Co. p. 45. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 242. ISBN 9780958034180.
^ "Conospermum longifolium subsp. angustifolium". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Johnson, Lawrie A.S.; McGillivray, Donald (1975). "Conospermum Sm. (Proteaceae) in Eastern Australia". Telopea. 1 (1): 63–64. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b Mackay, David. "Conospermum longifolium subsp. angustifolium". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ "Conospermum longifolium subsp. longifolium". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b Mackay, David. "Conospermum longifolium subsp. longifolium". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ "Conospermum longifolium subsp. mediale". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b Mackay, David. "Conospermum longifolium subsp. mediale". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 26 September 2024.