Lambertia

Lambertia
Lambertia formosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Subfamily: Grevilleoideae
Tribe: Roupaleae
Subtribe: Lambertiinae
Genus: Lambertia
Sm.
Type species
Lambertia formosa
Species

See text

Lambertia is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Australia. The genus was named in 1798 by Sir James Edward Smith in honour of English botanist Aylmer Bourke Lambert.

The Lambertias are sclerophyllous shrubs or small trees. The common name, wild honeysuckle, is due to the flowers, which are asymmetrical with a long floral tube and tightly rolled lobes, in red, orange, yellow and green.

Species

There are ten species currently accepted by the Australian Plant Census, nine of which are endemic to the South West of Western Australia and one, L. formosa, is found in the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands regions of New South Wales.

Conservation

As of the 2025-2 update, six Lambertia species are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with five of them being threatened with extinction. Two species (L. ilicifolia and L. inermis) are listed as vulnerable, two more (L. echinata and L. multiflora) are listed as endangered and one, L. fairallii is listed as critically endangered. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 also lists L. echinata subspecies citrina and occidentalis and L. orbifolia as endangered and L. fairallii as critically endangered.

Habitat destruction, increased bushfire frequencies and the pathogen which causes dieback disease, Phytophthora cinnamomi are the greatest threats to these species.

Common and scientific names Subspecies and varieties Distribution IUCN Status Other statuses Image
Prickly honeysuckle, Lambertia echinata R.Br. subsp. citrina Hnatiuk

Prickly honeysuckle - subsp. echinata

Western prickly honeysuckle - subsp. occidentalis Keighery

 S.W. Western Australia Endangered (subsp. citrina + occidentalis) (EPBC)

Threatened (Declared Rare Flora) – Extant Taxa (subsp. citrina + occidentalis (DEC)
Heath-leaved honeysuckle

Lambertia ericifolia R.Br.

 S.W. Western Australia
Fairall's lambertia, Fairall's honeysuckle

Lambertia fairallii Keighery

 SW. Western Australia Critically Endangered (EPBC)

Threatened (Declared Rare Flora) – Extant Taxa (DEC)
Mountain devil, honey flower

Lambertia formosa Sm.

 Northern NSW around Grafton and between Red Rock and Yamba and Central Coast to Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands in southern NSW.
Holly-leaved honeysuckle

Lambertia ilicifolia Hook.

 S.W. Western Australia
Chittick

Lambertia inermis R.Br.

 var. drummondii (Fielding & Gardner) Hnatiuk

var. inermis

 S.W. Western Australia
Many-flowered honeysuckle

Lambertia multiflora Lindl.

 var. darlingensis Hnatiuk

var. multiflora

 S.W. Western Australia
Round-leaf honeysuckle

Lambertia orbifolia C.A.Gardner

 Round-leaf honeysuckle - subsp. orbifolia

Penny-leaved honeysuckle - subsp. pecuniosa A.D.Webb, L.T.Monks & Wege

Scott River honeysuckle - subsp. vespera A.D.Webb, L.T.Monks & Wege

 S.W. Western Australia Endangered (EPBC)

Threatened (Declared Rare Flora) – Extant Taxa (All subsp.) (DEC)
Green honeysuckle

Lambertia rariflora Meisn.

 subsp. lutea Hnatiuk

subsp. rariflora

 S.W. Western Australia
Lambertia uniflora R.Br. S.W. corner of Western Australia

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lambertia". National Species List. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  2. ↑ Harden, G.J. "Genus Lambertia". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  4. 1 2 "EPBC Act List of Threatened Flora". Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Florabase—the Western Australian flora Lambertia". Western Australian Herbarium: Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "Threatened and Priority Flora List - December 2025". Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2026.