Hakea propinqua is a flowering shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is a common shrub found in heathlands near Sydney. It has sharp, needle-shaped leaves, white unpleasantly scented flowers and large warty fruit.
Hakea propinqua is a bushy shrub NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 tall with unpleasantly scented, small, pale yellow or white flowers occurring in umbels along branchlets in leaf axils. The leaves are thin, terete, about 3sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, ending with a sharp tip about 1sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The leaves are softer and at a smaller angle to the stem than the related Needlebush. The warty fruit are egg shaped-elliptic NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide ending with two small horns.[1] [2] [3]
Hakea propinqua was first formally described in 1825 by Allan Cunningham and the description was published in Geographical Memoirs on New South Wales.[4] [5] The species name is derived from the Latin propinquus, meaning near, referring to the similarity to Hakea nodosa.[2]
Hakea propinqua grows from coast to ranges on sand or light loam over sandstone in woodland and heath in the Sydney region to the Blue Mountains.[2] [3]