Enigma Hakea
Hakea aenigma
Family Proteaceae
About
Hakea aenigma, commonly known as the enigma hakea, is a critically endangered shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Kangaroo Island in South Australia. It is one of two Hakea species totally reliant on suckering to reproduce therefore having "reached evolutionary dead-ends" as this method of reproduction greatly limits genetic variation. The entire population of this species may be of clonal colonies descended from a single individual.
How to spot it
Hakea aenigma is a rounded bushy shrub 1.5 to 2.5 metres (4.9 to 8.2 ft) high. Smaller branches are densely covered with flattened fine hairs, thinning nearer flowering time. The glabrescent leaves are flat and linear 5 to 35 centimetres (2 to 14 in) long and 3 to 10 millimetres (0.1 to 0.4 in) wide with prominent longitudinal veins 1–7 above and 4–9 on the underside. Each inflorescence has 16–33 flowers growing on an individual stalk. Pedicels and perianth are cream-white and smooth. The style
Documented on these trails
Found in
- Flinders Chase National Park — Flinders Ranges & Outback SA hikes