Hugo Rojas sculpture

Hakea teretifolia subsp. teretifolia    

Dagger Hakea

Prickly thickets of this Hakea guard the wet heaths and swamp from all but the most intrepid visitor. Needle sharp, cylindrical leaves up to 5cm long, characterise this rigid shrub which may be low and spreading in windy locations or up to 3m tall when sheltered.

From spring to summer a won- derful abundance of softly hairy white flowers cluster on short stalks in the leaf axils. Segments of the 4-6mm long floral tube roll back to one side. The white style, at first curved into the floral tube, is released to reveal the pollen presenter. Moths, which are attracted to white flowers, are evening pollinators.

The 3cm long dagger-like, beaked fruit is a tough woody follicle which splits in half to release two black winged seeds. Aboriginal people collected the nectar-rich flowers of Hakeas to make sweet drinks.

Family: Proteaceae