# Calothamnus

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Genus of flowering plants

Calothamnus Calothamnus quadrifidus Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Tribe: Melaleuceae Genus: Calothamnus Labill.[1] Synonyms[1] Baudinia DC. nom. inval., pro syn. Baudinia Rchb. nom. inval., pro syn. Baudinia Heynh. nom. inval., pro syn. Billotia Heynh. orth. var. Billottia Colla Calothamnus b. Billotia Rchb. orth. var. Calothamnus b. Billottia (Colla) Rchb. Calothamnus sect. Baudinia Kuntze nom. inval. Calothamnus sect. Callithamnus Schauer nom. inval. Calothamnus sect. Callithamnus Schauer nom. inval. Calothamnus Labill. sect. Calothamnus

***Calothamnus*** is a genus of flowering plants in the family [Myrtaceae](/source/Myrtaceae) and is [endemic](/source/Endemic_(ecology)) to the [south-west](/source/Southwest_Australia) of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia). The common names **one-sided bottlebrush** or **claw flower** are given to some species due to their having the flowers clustered on one side of the stem or because of the claw-like appearance of their flowers. *Calothamnus* species are generally medium to tall woody shrubs with crowded leaves. In most species the leaves are crowded and linear in shape, and the flowers are usually arranged in dense clusters. The [petals](/source/Petal) are small and fall off the flower soon after it opens but the stamens are long, numerous and usually bright red.

## Description

Plants in the genus *Calothamnus* are medium to tall shrubs, sometimes low-growing ground covers. The leaves are linear or narrow lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, usually [glabrous](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/glabrous) and have distinct oil glands. The flowers are in small groups or dense spikes on leafless, older stems or between the leaves on younger ones. The [sepals](/source/Sepal) are fused to form a bell-shaped cup which is often immersed in the branch and there are four or five [petals](/source/Petal) which usually fall off after the flower has opened. There are many stamens, joined for a large proportion of their length into four or five "claws". In some species the upper two claws are fused together and the lower ones are shorter. The stamens are brightly coloured, crimson to a deep purple or rarely yellow. The fruit is a woody [capsule](/source/Capsule_(botany)).[2][3][4]

*Calothamnus graniticus* subsp. *graniticus*

*Calothamnus pinifolius*

## Taxonomy and naming

The first species in the genus to be described was *[Calothamnus sanguineus](/source/Calothamnus_sanguineus)*. It was first formally described in 1806 by the [French](/source/French_people) biologist [Jacques Labillardière](/source/Jacques_Labillardi%C3%A8re) in *[Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen](/source/Novae_Hollandiae_Plantarum_Specimen), Volume 2*.[5][6] The name *Calothamnus* is derived from the [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) words *kalos* meaning "beautiful"[7]: 131 and *thamnos* meaning "a shrub" or "a bush".[7]: 174[8]

In 2014, [Lyndley Craven](/source/Lyndley_Craven) and others proposed, mainly on the basis of DNA evidence, that species in the genus *Calothamnus*, along with those in *[Beaufortia](/source/Beaufortia_(plant))*, *[Conothamnus](/source/Conothamnus)*, *[Eremaea](/source/Eremaea_(plant))*, *[Lamarchea](/source/Lamarchea)*, *[Petraeomyrtus](/source/Petraeomyrtus)*, *[Phymatocarpus](/source/Phymatocarpus)* and *[Regelia](/source/Regelia)* be transferred to *[Melaleuca](/source/Melaleuca)*.[9]

## Distribution and habitat

All *Calothamnus* species are found in the [south west botanical province](/source/Southwest_Australia) of Western Australia. Some (such as *[Calothamnus aridus](/source/Calothamnus_aridus)*) are adapted to a dry environment whilst others (such as *[Calothamnus hirsutus](/source/Calothamnus_hirsutus)*) are often found near swamps.[2]

## Use in horticulture

Most species of *Calothamnus* have been grown in gardens but need full sun and good drainage. Propagation is usually from seeds which are retained in the hard fruits throughout the life of the plant but cuttings can be used to retain the colour of yellow forms.[10]

## Species list

The following is a list of species accepted by the [Australian Plant Census](/source/Australian_Plant_Census) as at June 2025:[11]

- *[Calothamnus accedens](/source/Calothamnus_accedens)* [Hawkeswood](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hawkeswood&action=edit&redlink=1)

- *[Calothamnus affinis](/source/Calothamnus_affinis)* [Turcz.](/source/Turcz.)

- *[Calothamnus arcuatus](/source/Calothamnus_arcuatus)* [A.S.George](/source/Alex_George_(botanist))

- *[Calothamnus aridus](/source/Calothamnus_aridus)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus blepharospermus](/source/Calothamnus_blepharospermus)* [F.Muell.](/source/F.Muell.)

- *[Calothamnus borealis](/source/Calothamnus_borealis)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus brevifolius](/source/Calothamnus_brevifolius)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus chrysanthereus](/source/Calothamnus_chrysanthereus)* F.Muell. - claw flower

- *[Calothamnus cupularis](/source/Calothamnus_cupularis)* A.S.George

- *[Calothamnus formosus](/source/Calothamnus_formosus)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus gibbosus](/source/Calothamnus_gibbosus)* [Benth.](/source/Benth.)

- *[Calothamnus gilesii](/source/Calothamnus_gilesii)* F.Muell.

- *[Calothamnus glaber](/source/Calothamnus_glaber)* (Benth.) A.S.George

- *[Calothamnus gracilis](/source/Calothamnus_gracilis)* R.Br.

- *[Calothamnus graniticus](/source/Calothamnus_graniticus)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus hirsutus](/source/Calothamnus_hirsutus)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus huegelii](/source/Calothamnus_huegelii)* [Schauer](/source/Johannes_Conrad_Schauer)

- *[Calothamnus lateralis](/source/Calothamnus_lateralis)* [Lindl.](/source/Lindl.)

- *[Calothamnus lehmannii](/source/Calothamnus_lehmannii)* Schauer

- *[Calothamnus longissimus](/source/Calothamnus_longissimus)* F.Muell.

- *[Calothamnus macrocarpus](/source/Calothamnus_macrocarpus)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus microcarpus](/source/Calothamnus_microcarpus)* F.Muell.

- *[Calothamnus montanus](/source/Calothamnus_montanus)* A.S.George

- *[Calothamnus oldfieldii](/source/Calothamnus_oldfieldii)* F.Muell.

- *[Calothamnus pachystachyus](/source/Calothamnus_pachystachyus)* Benth.

- *[Calothamnus phellosus](/source/Calothamnus_phellosus)* A.S.George

- *[Calothamnus pinifolius](/source/Calothamnus_pinifolius)* F.Muell. - dense claw-flower

- *[Calothamnus planifolius](/source/Calothamnus_planifolius)* [Lehm.](/source/Lehm.)

- *[Calothamnus preissii](/source/Calothamnus_preissii)* Schauer

- *[Calothamnus quadrifidus](/source/Calothamnus_quadrifidus)* R.Br. - one-sided bottlebrush

- *[Calothamnus robustus](/source/Calothamnus_robustus)* Schauer

- *[Calothamnus roseus](/source/Calothamnus_roseus)* A.S.George

- *[Calothamnus rupestris](/source/Calothamnus_rupestris)* Schauer - mouse ears

- *[Calothamnus sanguineus](/source/Calothamnus_sanguineus)* [Labill.](/source/Labill.) - silky-leaved blood-flower

- *[Calothamnus scabridus](/source/Calothamnus_scabridus)* A.S.George

- *[Calothamnus schaueri](/source/Calothamnus_schaueri)* [Lehm.](/source/Lehm.)

- *[Calothamnus superbus](/source/Calothamnus_superbus)* Hawkeswood & Mollemans

- *[Calothamnus torulosus](/source/Calothamnus_torulosus)* Schauer

- *[Calothamnus tuberosus](/source/Calothamnus_tuberosus)* Hawkeswood

- *[Calothamnus validus](/source/Calothamnus_validus)* [S.Moore](/source/S.Moore) - Barrens claw-flower

- *[Calothamnus villosus](/source/Calothamnus_villosus)* R.Br.

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-APC_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-APC_1-1) ["*Calothamnus*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/100005). Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 June 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hawkeswood_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hawkeswood_2-1) Hawkeswood, Trevor J. (1984). ["Nine new species of *Calothamnus* Labill. (Myrtaceae: Leptospermoideae) from Western Australia"](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/223585#page/127/mode/1up). *Nuytsia*. **5** (1): 123–124. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.58828/nuy00099](https://doi.org/10.58828%2Fnuy00099). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [89643195](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:89643195). Retrieved 24 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FloraBase_3-0)** ["*Calothamnus Labill.*"](https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/21815). *[FloraBase](/source/FloraBase)*. Western Australian Government [Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions](/source/Department_of_Biodiversity%2C_Conservation_and_Attractions).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Corrick_4-0)** Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). *Wildflowers of southern Western Australia* (3rd ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Publishing P/L. p. 114. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781877058844](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781877058844).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-APNI_5-0)** ["*Calothamnus sangineus*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/instance/apni/526774). APNI. Retrieved 24 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Plantarum_6-0)** La Billardière, Jacques-Julien Houtou de (1806). [*Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen Volume 2*](https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=HMteAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PA25). Paris. pp. 25–26. Retrieved 25 July 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RWB_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RWB_7-1) Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). *The Composition of Scientific Words*. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ANBG_8-0)** Booth, Carol. ["*Calothamnus quadrifidus*"](http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2011/calothamnus-quadrifidus.html). Australian National Botanic Garden. Retrieved 28 December 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Taxon_9-0)** Craven, Lyn A.; Edwards, Robert D.; Cowley, Kirsten J. (30 June 2014). ["New combinations and names in *Melaleuca* (Myrtaceae)"](https://doi.org/10.12705%2F633.38). *Taxon*. **63** (3): 663–670. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.12705/633.38](https://doi.org/10.12705%2F633.38).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wrigley_10-0)** Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). *Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping* (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. pp. 194–195. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0002165759](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0002165759).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-APClist_11-0)** ["*Calothamnus*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/search/taxonomy?product=APC&tree.id=51209179&name=Calothamnus&inc._scientific=&inc.scientific=on&inc._cultivar=&max=1000&display=apc&search=true). Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 June 2025.

Taxon identifiers Calothamnus Wikidata: Q2713870 Wikispecies: Calothamnus APNI: 100005 BOLD: 485345 EPPO: 1CTMG FloraBase: 21815 GBIF: 3175349 GRIN: 1931 iNaturalist: 205057 IPNI: 27455-1 IRMNG: 1277763 ITIS: 834871 NCBI: 73738 Open Tree of Life: 29693 PLANTS: CALOT3 POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:27455-1 Tropicos: 40035644 WFO: wfo-4000006202

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Calothamnus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calothamnus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calothamnus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.