Persoonia coriacea

Persoonia cordifolia is an erect to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–2 m (1 ft 0 in – 6 ft 7 in) with several to many stems arising from the base and has smooth, mottled grey bark. The branches and leaves are hairy at first but become glabrous with age. The leaves are arranged alternately, spatula-shaped or elliptic to linear, 20–65 mm (0.79–2.56 in) long, 3–13 mm (0.12–0.51 in) wide and twisted through up to 90° so that the leaves are held in the vertical plane. Some populations, such as plants near Yellowdine, have more twisted leaves than others. The flowers are arranged in groups of up to ten along a rachis up to 70 mm (2.8 in) long that usually grows into a leafy shoot after flowering, each flower on a pedicel 2.5–9 mm (0.098–0.354 in) long. The tepals are bright yellow, 6.5–11.5 mm (0.26–0.45 in) long with bright yellow anthers. Flowering occurs from November to February and the fruit is an oval drupe 7–13 mm (0.28–0.51 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) wide containing a single seed.

Persoonia coriacea is found in the southwest of Western Australia, from Carnamah southwards to Lake Grace and Lake King and east across to Plumridge Lakes. It grows on yellow sand dunes or sandplains, or on sandy clay soils, sometimes over laterite, red sand or granite and occurs in heathland and mallee heath plant communities. The uncommon blue-breasted fairywren has been recorded using this shrub as a nest site.

Held to have little horticultural appeal, Persoonia coriacea is not known to be cultivated.

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