Agonis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Myrtales

Familia: Myrtaceae
Subfamilia: Myrtoideae
Tribus: Leptospermeae
Genus: Agonis
Species (4): A. baxteri – A. flexuosa – A. grandiflora – A. theiformis – A. undulata
Name

Agonis (DC.) Sweet, Hort. Brit. , ed. 2. 209. 1830, nom. cons.
Type species: Agonis flexuosa (Willd.) Sweet

Synonyms

Basionym
Leptospermum sect. Agonis DC., Prodr. 3: 226. 1828.

Homotypic
Agonis (DC.) Lindl., Sketch Veg. Swan R. 10. 1839, comb. superfl.
Agonomyrtus Schauer ex Rchb., nom. inval.
Billotia R.Br. ex G.Don, Gen. Hist. 2: 827. 1832, nom. inval. & nom. illeg. non Colla (1824).
Billattia R.Br., orth. var.
Billiotia Endl., orth. var.
Billiottia Endl., orth. var.

Heterotypic
Agonis sect. Ataxandria Benth.
Paragonis J.R.Wheeler & N.G.Marchant, Nuytsia 16: 430. 2007.

References

Govaerts, R. et al. 2015. Agonis in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2015 Oct. 24. Reference page.
Wheeler, J.R.; Marchant, N.G. 2007: A revision of the Western Australian genus Agonis (Myrtaceae) and two new segregate genera Taxandria and Paragonis. Nuytsia 16(2): 393–433. Full article (PDF) Reference page. - the segregation of Paragonis is not accepted by Govaerts et al. (2015)

Agonis is a genus in the plant family Myrtaceae. All are endemic to Western Australia, growing near the coast in the south west.
Description

Only one, Agonis flexuosa, grows to tree size; the others generally grow as tall shrubs.

Agonis formerly contained a number of other species, but the genus was recently split, with the majority moved to Taxandria. The species Agonis grandiflora was segregated to a monotypic genus, Paragonis.[2]

Agonis species generally have fibrous, brown bark, dull green leaves and inflorescences of small, white flowers. They are best known and most readily identified by the powerful odour of peppermint emitted when the leaves are crushed or torn, though some plants in fact emit an overpowering smell of eucalyptus.
Species

Agonis baxteri
Agonis flexuosa Western Australian peppermint, Swan River peppermint, or willow myrtle is the most well-known Agonis, being a common tree in parks and road verges in southern Australia.
Agonis flexuosa var. flexuosa
A. f. var. latifolia
A. fragrans
A. theiformis
A. undulata

The name Agonis derives from the Greek agon, meaning gathering or collection, in reference to the tightly clustered flowers.

Agonis is the food plant of the moth Aenetus dulcis.

As with many Australian natives, great care must be taken when transplanting to avoid stressing, straining or jarring the area where the trunk meets the root ball.
References
Wikispecies has information related to Agonis.

Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Wheeler, J.R. & Marchant, N.G., (2007) A revision of the Western Australian genus Agonis (Myrtaceae) and two new segregate genera Taxandria and Paragonis. Nuytsia 16(2): 406-407

"Agonis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
Boland, D. J.; et al. (1984). Forest Trees of Australia (Fourth edition revised and enlarged). Collingwood, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 0-643-05423-5..
Blackall, W. E.; Grieve, B. J. (1980). How to Know Western Australian Wildflowers, Part 3A (2nd ed.). Nedlands, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 0-85564-160-6..
Powell, Robert (1990). Leaf and Branch: Trees and Tall Shrubs of Perth. Perth, Western Australia: Department of Conservation and Land Management. ISBN 0-7309-3916-2..