Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws)

Western Australia FloraFlora Index Acacia glaucoptera (Flat Wattle) Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Banksia carlinoides Conostylis argentea Daviesia pachyphylla (Ouch Bush) Exocarpos sparteus Gompholobium cyaninum Kingia australis Lechenaultia formosa (Red Leschenaultia) Mesembryanthemum crystallinum Wurmbea tenella (Eight Nancy)

The Kangaroo Paw is one of those recognisable flowering plants. As the floral emblem of Western Australia, the Kangaroo Paw it is certainly associated with WA. In particular, it is the red and green kangaroo paw that was proclaimed the state’s floral emblem in November 1960 and was also incorporated into the Coat of Arms of Western Australia on 17 March 1969.

Commonly known as Kangaroo Paws, the genus Anigozanthos are a group of Southwest Australian plants of the bloodwort family Haemodoraceae.

There are (at the time of writing 20 October 2024), 11 described species on the Atlas of Living Australia. There are of course some subspecies recognised by FloraBase as rare or endangered taxa.

The popularity of the Kangaroo Paw Anigozanthos, as both an garden plant and commercially produced cut-flower, has led to the many hybrids and development of cultivars.

The Australian Cultivar Registration Authority lists twenty seven registered names and descriptions of cultivars derived from the genus. A larger number of patents for these, accepted or granted ‘varieties’, are recorded in the Plant breeders’ rights database.⁴

Whilst the many subspecies are commonly known as kangaroo paw or catspaw, a further species, that was previously identified as Anigozanthos fuliginosus (Black Kangaroo Paw), was separated to a monotypic genus Macropidia fuliginosa.

---

• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Charophyta
• Class: Equisetopsida
• Subclass: Magnoliidae
• Superorder: Lilianae
• Order: Commelinales
• Family: Haemodoraceae
• Genus: Anigozanthos
• Species:
  • Anigozanthos bicolor Endl.
  • Anigozanthos flavidus Redouté 
  • Anigozanthos gabrielae Domin
  • Anigozanthos humilis Lindl. 
  • Anigozanthos kalbarriensis Hopper
  • Anigozanthos manglesii D.Don 
  • Anigozanthos onycis A.S.George
  • Anigozanthos preissii Endl. 
  • Anigozanthos pulcherrimus Hook. 
  • Anigozanthos rufus Labill. 
  • Anigozanthos viridis Endl.
    
    there are many unranked Anigozanthos and hybrids

---

---

---

Western Australia FloraFlora Index Acacia glaucoptera (Flat Wattle) Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Banksia carlinoides Conostylis argentea Daviesia pachyphylla (Ouch Bush) Exocarpos sparteus Gompholobium cyaninum Kingia australis Lechenaultia formosa (Red Leschenaultia) Mesembryanthemum crystallinum Wurmbea tenella (Eight Nancy)

Western AustraliaWestern Australia Fauna Western Australia Flora The Batavia Coast and Midwest WA Bungle Bungles – Purnululu National Park Great Southern WA South West WA Stirling Range National Park