Pimelea petrophila
| Pimelea petrophila | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Thymelaeaceae |
| Genus: | Pimelea |
| Species: | P. petrophila
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pimelea petrophila | |
Pimelea petrophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is an erect, dioecious shrub with hairy young stems, elliptic or narrowly elliptic leaves, and heads of white flowers surrounded by 2 or 4 leaf-like involucral bracts.
Description[edit]
Pimelea petrophila is an erect, dioecious shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–1 m (1 ft 0 in – 3 ft 3 in) and has its young stems covered with short, fine hairs. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 6–33 mm (0.24–1.30 in) long, 1.5–8 mm (0.059–0.315 in) wide and usually glabrous. The flowers are arranged in clusters of many white flowers, surrounded by 2 to 4 leaf-like involucral bracts 8–16 mm (0.31–0.63 in) long, 3–9 mm (0.12–0.35 in) wide and usually longer than the male flowers. The floral tube of male flowers is 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long, the sepals 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long, the floral tube of female flowers is 4.0–5.5 mm (0.16–0.22 in) long with sepals 1.0–1.8 mm (0.039–0.071 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from July to October.[2][3]
This pimelea is similar to P. flava but has seeds with a pitted (foveate) surface, whereas those of P. flava are furrowed.[2]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Pimelea petrophila was first formally described in 1853 by Ferdinand von Mueller in journal Linnaea.[4][5] The specific epithet (petrophila) means "rock-loving".[6]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
This pimelea grows on rocky hills on the Eyre Peninsula, Flinders and Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia and on the Barrier Ranges of far western New South Wales.[2][3]
References[edit]
- ^ "Pimelea petrophila". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ a b c Rye, Barbara L. "Pimelea petrophila". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Pimelea petrophila". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "Pimelea petrophila". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ von Mueller, Ferdinand (1853). "Diagnoses et descriptiones plantarum novarum, quas in Nova Hollandia australi praecipue in regionibus interioribus". Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 25: 442. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings. Sardinia Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 278. ISBN 978-0-9580341-8-0.