The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening

Every genus a Victorian gardener could grow — Abelia to Zygopetalum across four volumes, with each plant's history, species, and culture, by the Curator of Kew.

Home › H › Hakea (Named after Baron Hake)

Hakea (Named after Baron Hake)

(named after Baron Hake, a German patron of botany). SYN. Conchium. ORD. Proteaceae. A large genus (ninety-five species have been described) of greenhouse evergreen shrubs or rarely small trees, limited to Australia. Flowers hermaphrodite, in pairs; perianth irregular or rarely regular, the tube revolute or curved under the limb, or rarely straight. Leaves alternate, very diversified in shape, flat or terete; margins rarely recurved, and the two surfaces usually similar and equally veined. Hakeas thrive in a compost of two parts peat and one of loam, with sufficient sand to secure perfect drainage. Well-ripened cuttings will root in sandy peat, under a bell glass, if first placed in a cool house, and transferred to a mild bottom heat so soon as a callus is formed. During summer, when the plants are growing, water may be freely given in early morning or evening; at other times, it should be carefully administered.

H. conchifolia (shell-leaved). A synonym of H. cucullata. H. cristata (crested). fl. white, small, in short axillary racemes. June. l. cuneate-obovate, spinosely toothed, glabrous. h. 6ft. to 8ft. 1837. H. cucullata (hooded).* fl. red, small, showy, in dense axillary clusters. June. l. leathery, cordate, alternate, sessile, minutely toothed, milky-green. Branches round, very hairy. h. 4ft. 1824. SYNS. H. conchifolia and H. Victoriae. (B. M. 4528.) H. Cunninghami (Cunningham's). fl., racemes lateral on the old wood, loosely cylindrical, 3in. to 6in. long. May. l. terete, rigid, mostly above 1ft. long. h. 12ft. to 16ft. A small tree. SYN. H. longifolia.

H. dactyloides (finger-like).* fl. white, very small, numerous, in axillary clusters or short racemes; perianth glabrous. July. l. from linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acute or scarcely obtuse, tapering into a short petiole, rigid, prominently three-nerved. Branches erect. h. 7ft. 1790. Shrub. SYN. Conchium dactyloides. (B. M. 4528.) H. ferruginea (rusty). fl. small, in axillary clusters; perianth glabrous, much revolute; limb ovoid. May. l. glabrous or villous, sessile, from cordate-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, shortly acuminate, with a callous point, entire, or with slightly sinuate or undulate margins. Branches tomentose-pubescent. h. 3ft. to 4ft. SYN. H. repanda. (B. M. 3424; L. B. C. 1750; S. F. A. 45.) H. florida (flowery). fl. white, very small, in axillary clusters. July. l. sessile or nearly so, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, very acute and pungent-pointed, bordered by few prickly teeth or small lobes. Branches pubescent or villous. h. 5ft. to 6ft. 1803. (B. M. 2579.) H. linearis (linear). fl. white, small, in axillary clusters or short racemes; perianth glabrous; tube slender. May. l. sessile, linear-lanceolate, pungent-pointed, entire or bordered by a few small prickly teeth. h. 4ft. 1824. An erect, bushy, bright green, glabrous shrub. (B. R. 1489; S. F. A. 43.) H. longifolia (long-leaved). A synonym of H. Cunninghami. H. myrtoides (Myrtle-like). fl. red, in axillary clusters. February. l. sessile, ovate or sub-orbicular, pungent, marginate, smooth. Branches rather loosely villous, at length glabrous. h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1849. (B. M. 4643.) H. nitida (shining).* fl. white, small, numerous, in axillary racemes. June. l. obovate-oblong, or rarely lanceolate, some-times quite entire and obtuse, with a small pungent point, sometimes acute, pungent-pointed, and irregularly bordered by a few prickly teeth or lobes. Branches glabrous. h. 6ft. to 8ft. 1803. A dense shrub. (B. M. 2246.) H. pectinata (comb-like). A synonym of H. suaveolens. H. propinqua (related). fl. very small, in little axillary clusters. June. l. crowded, terete, smooth, mucronate, rather thick, shortly attenuated at the base. Branches scarcely pubescent. A bushy shrub.

H. pugioniformis (dagger-formed). fl. few, in axillary sessile clusters; perianth tube slender. May. l. terete, smooth, rigid, with a short pungent point. Branches glabrous or very minutely silky-pubescent. h. 2ft. to 4ft. 1796. (L. B. C. 353.) H. repanda (repand). A synonym of H. ferruginea.

H. saligna (Willow-like). fl. small, in dense axillary clusters; perianth glabrous. April. l. usually lanceolate, obtuse, or with a short, callous point, veinless, or obscurely and obliquely penniveined. h. 7ft. 1791. A tall bushy shrub. (S. F. A. 27.) H. suaveolens (sweet-smelling).* fl. white, racemose, smooth. Summer. l. furrowed above, pinnatifid, occasionally undivided. h. 4ft. 1803. SYN. H. pectinata.

H. sulcata (furrowed-leaved). fl. small, in dense axillary clusters, the small rachis densely villous. May. l. linear-terete, angular, and furrowed, rigid, mucronate, sometimes pungent-pointed. h. 5ft. to 6ft. 1820. An erect shrub. H. s. scoparia (broom-like). fl. yellow. May. l. mostly longer, sometimes 8in., less pointed than in the type, but occasionally short in some branches. 1849. (B. M. 4644.) H. Victoriae (Queen Victoria's). A synonym of H. cucullata.

Read next

← HaemodorumHalesia →