Gillam's Bell

Gillham's bell is a small, dense, upright shrub to about 1.5 metres high, with erect branches and short branchlets. Its leaves are about 10 mm long by about 1 mm wide and are almost cylindrical or triangular in cross section. Bell-shaped, flower-like inflorescences appear from August to November. These are clusters of about 10 drooping, nectar-rich flowers surrounded by bright red petal-like bracts up to 30 mm long.

This darwinia grows in stony, peaty sand in rocky gullies that are wet in winter. There are only four known populations of D. oxylepis, all of them in national parks (Stirling Range and Porongurup). They grow in areas known to be significantly affected by Phytophthora cinnamomi fungus to which they are vulnerable. They are also in areas that are prone to bushfire. The species is killed by fire and regenerates from seed stored in the soil but it takes up to four years before new plants produce seed. More frequent fire events may therefore cause loss of populations. The plants also grow in areas frequented by tourists and are at risk from trampling and unauthorised picking of plant parts.

As with others in the genus, D. oxylepis is not well known in cultivation. It is difficult to grow from seed but relatively easy to grow from cuttings, although generally short-lived in the garden. It has been grafted onto the hardier eastern Australian D. citriodora, and this is the preferred method of propagation.

== References ==