Hakea sulcata       0

It is an erect or spreading shrub, 0.5-1.5 m tall, non-sprouting. The branchlets are sparsely to densely appressed-pubescent at flowering, sometimes patchily glabrescent.

The leaves are usually subterete, thick, slightly to markedly compressed-pentagonal to -heptagonal in cross-section, shallowly grooved longitudinally, 2-9cm long, 1-2mm in diameter, glabrous. There are 6 or 7 longitudinal veins all around (2 marginal, 3 below and 1 or 2 above), alternating with grooves. The leaves are rarely flat or concave, linear to very narrowly obovate, 2-6mm wide, with prominent marginal veins and 3 longitudinal veins below, 1 above (sometimes upper vein obscure).

The inflorescence is a solitary axillary umbelliform raceme, with 8-14 flowers. The pedicels are cream-white, glabrous. The perianth is cream-white. The pistil is 5-9.5mm long. The gland is subglobular, more or less compressed, 0.2mm high.

There are 1-3 fruit per axil, scarcely woody, sessile, obliquely ovate-acuminate (almost straight abaxially), usually slightly recurved, 0.6-0.8cm long, 0.3-0.35cm wide, scarcely beaked but with prominent readily broken apiculum. The seed is more or less elliptic-rhombic, 4.8-5.5mm long, very shortly winged. The wing is extending very narrowly down both sides and around base of body, sometimes notched, dark blackish brown.

Hakea gilbertii is similar to Hakea sulcata but differs in its much larger fruit, slightly more slender leaves with exceptionally long-acuminate needle-sharp mucro, elongate racemes and paler seeds with a much larger wing.

The Genus: Hakea Section: Conogynoides Serie: Ulicina having the following characters: Shrubs, without corky bark. Leaves simple, flat or apparently terete (but 3–12-angled in cross-section) with longitudinal veins at each angle to give sulcate appearance, non-petiolate, not stem clasping, entire, with at least marginal veins and midvein visible below. Inflorescence an axillary umbelliform or moderately elongate raceme, rarely arising from older leafless axils and 1 or 2 per axil, developing within involucre; bracts not persisting at base of inflorescence; rachis knob-like to elongated. Flowers 6–80; pedicels glabrous. Perianth curved in bud, splitting to base into 4 distinct tepals, glabrous. Pistil 3–18 mm long; pollen presenter erect, conical; gland a small flap to ±globular, or absent. Fruit usually more than 1 per axil, erect, retained on plant, woody, smooth to prickly, usually beaked, not horned, usually shortly apiculate, dehiscing fully or partly down one or both sides. Seed occupying part of valve; wing encircling seed body or extending fully or partly down both sides, usually more broadly on one side, rarely down one side only.

A group of 21 species, occurring mostly in southern W.A., with a few in S.A., Vic. and N.S.W., extending to islands of Bass Strait, Tas.

When in full flower, it is very attractive. It responds well to light pruning. It is useful for general planting and screening. The plants attract birds.

References
- Encyclopedia of Australian Plants, Elliot W. Rodger & Jones David L. 2012 Vol. 5 pag. 234. ISBN
- Flora of Australia. profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile Vol. 17B pag. 158-159. Hakea sulcata
- Hakeas, a field and garden guide, Ivan Holliday. 2005 pag. 200-201. ISBN

- Encyclopedia of Australian Plants, Elliot W. Rodger & Jones David L. 2012 pag. 186-189. ISBN
- Australian Proteaceae: new taxa and notes, McGillivray, Donald. Telopea 1975 Vol. 1(1) pag. 19-32. DOI
- Flora of Australia. profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile Vol. 17B pag. 1-35. Hakea
- New species, new combinations and other name changes in Hakea (Proteaceae), Barker, RM. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden 1990 pag. 95-110. JStor
- Novelties and Taxonomic Notes Relating to Hakea Sect. Hakea (Proteaceae), Mainly of Eastern Australia, W.R. Barker. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens 1996 Vol. 17 pag. 177-209. JStor
- Taxonomic notes on Hakea Schrader (Proteaceae), mainly relating to South Australia, Barker, WR. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden 1985 pag. 233-247. JStor
- The Hakea pedunculata group of species (Proteaceae) and a new subspecies of Hakea stenophylla from Western Australia, Barker, R. M. Nuytsia: journal of the Western Australian Herbarium 1998 Vol. 12 pag. 1-8. Address
- Towards a revision of the Hakea epiglottis Labill.(Proteaceae) complex of Tasmania, Barker, RM. 1991 Vol. 124(2) pag. 79-84. Address
- The use of Trees and Shrubs in the Dry Country of Australia, Norman Hall. 1972 pag. 384-385. ISBN

Biological type: shrub
Frost resistance: 18ºF
Leaf color: dark green
Flower color: white
No transplantation: Yes
Reproduction mode: hermaphrodite plant whoes flowers produce both male and female gametes
IUCN Red List of threatened species status: Vulnerable

Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 6,5ft x 6,5ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h
Foliage: evergreen
Growth: fast
Flowering time from February until May

Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 30%Compost+30%Coco+40%Sand
Plant watering: 3x a week pH 5.5
Logical sequence of containers for: Trees; forestry plate, forestry pot 3L, container 6L, container 55L, container 110L, container 240L
Propagation is done by cuttings

Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 600-1200mm
Gravelly soil: a little
Clay soil: a little
Sandy soil: much
Acidic soil: much

SPRING Keep in refrigerator at 39°F for 8 weeks in dry condition. Sow the seeds at 2mm depth in the Well Drained Seed Sowing Mix between 64-72°F. During germination keep the substrate moist and in daylight. The seeds germinate in 3-6 weeks.

Germination references
- Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and, Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin, Carol & Baskin, J.M. 2014 pag. 1-1586. DOI


Cuttings instructions
Take the cuttings in early fall. Soak them in a hormonal preparation for cuttings before planting them in a substrate composed of 50% perlite and 50% heather earth. Keep them sufficiently moist at a temperature of 20°C in sealed freezer bags. Keep the light on for 16 hours a day.