Flowers and leaves. Photo: Michelle Brown, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Seed case inside. Photo: Michelle Brown, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Seed cases outside. Photo: Michelle Brown, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Shrub. Photo: Michelle Brown, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Bark. Photo: Michelle Brown, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Needlewood; Silver Needlewood, Needle Bush; Needle Hakea; Pinbush; Water Tree; Kulua

Family

Proteaceae

Notes

Shrub or tree to 8m tall.  Leaves alternating up the stems, 2-10cm long, 1.2-2mm diameter, narrow cylindrical, hairy becoming hairless, with a straight (rarely curved) sharp point.  Spider flowers with 4 white to yellow 'petals', in clusters of 18-45 flowers at the bases of the leaves.

It differs from Hakea tephrosperma   in that the leaves usually have a straight sharp point, the perianth is 3-4.5mm long, and the axis from which the individual flowers arise is covered in white hairs.

It differs from Hakea vittata in that the axis from which the individual flowers arise is covered in white hairs.

Description and photos (as Hakea leucoptera) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 217

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Hakea~leucoptera