Hakea microcarpa , commonly known as small-fruit hakea is a flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spreading shrub, often growing in woodlands, heathlands and near swamps in montane areas of eastern Australia.
Hakea microcarpa is a shrub growing to 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall but often wider than tall. Its leaves and branches are glabrous except for a few hairs on new growth and which are lost by the time of flowering. The leaves are usually needle-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and about 1.5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide but sometimes there are a few flat leaves up to 5sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The flowers are off-white in colour and are arranged in groups of ten to forty in the leaf axils. The stalk of each flower is NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and the perianth is NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. Flowering occurs from September to February and is followed by the fruit which is a woody follicle containing two winged seeds. The follicle is oblong in shape, about 16sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and 7sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with a small point NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long on each of the two sides.[1] [2] [3]
Hakea microcarpa was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London.[4] [5] The specific epithet (microcarpa) is a derived from the ancient Greek words mikros (μικρός) meaning "small" and karpos (καρπός) meaning "fruit",[6] referring to the small fruit.[3] [7]
Small-fruited hakea grows on the east coast and ranges of Australia from Stanthorpe to Tasmania where it grows in subalpine bogs, or in forest or woodland in damp sites.