Австралияның түтінді бұталары: Conospermum туысы

Genus of plants in the family Proteaceae

Conospermum is a genus of about 50 species in the family Proteaceae that are endemic to Australia. Members of the genus are known as smokebushes from a distance, their wispy heads of blue or grey flowers resemble puffs of smoke. They have an unusual pollination method that sometimes leads to the death of visiting insects. They are found in all Australian states, though most occur only in Western Australia. Smokebushes are rarely cultivated, though the flowers of several Western Australian species are harvested for the cut flower industry.

Conospermum species are shrubs or small trees ranging in height from to The leaves are usually simple, linear or egg shaped and have margins without teeth. The flowers have both male and female parts, are arranged in heads or spikes of a few to many flowers and are white pink, blue, grey or cream coloured. The fruit is a small nut usually with a fringe of hairs at its base.

The genus was first formally described by James Edward Smith in 1798 and the description was published in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. The name (Conospermum) is from the Ancient Greek words κῶνος (kônos) meaning "cone" and σπέρμα (spérma) meaning "seed" though Smith did not get around to describing it until 1806. Molecular evidence confirmed the two genera are each other's closest relatives.

Conospermum species are found in all mainland Australian states. Most species occur in the south west of Western Australia but 6 species occur in New South Wales and one in Tasmania.

Members of this genus have flowers that are pollinated by insects. The force of the "flick" can kill small ants and flies. Some bees in the genus Leioproctus (L. conospermi, L. pappus and L. tomentosus) feed exclusively on one or two species of Conospermum obtaining both nectar and pollen. Some appear to be camouflaged, having white eyes, milky coloured wings and bodies covered with white hair.

Although not common in horticulture, some members of the genus Conospermum, especially the Western Australian smoke bushes are particularly attractive. The western species are difficult to propagate and the eastern ones are not of great horticultural potential. Four species—summer smokebush (C. crassinervium), plume smokebush (C. incurvum), common smokebush (C. stoechadis) and tree smokebush (C. triplinervium)—are used in the cut flower industry. Mostly harvested from the wild, they are difficult to cultivate, although information on growing 6 species on a commercial scale is available.