Styphelia saxicola

Styphelia saxicola
Conservation status
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Ericaceae
Genus:	Styphelia
Species:	S. saxicola
Binomial name
Styphelia saxicola Hislop

Styphelia saxicola is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sharply-pointed, linear or very narrowly elliptic leaves and white or pale cream-coloured, tube-shaped flowers usually arranged in groups of 2 or 3 in leaf axils.

Description

Styphelia saxicola is an erect shrub that typically grows up to 1.0 m (3 ft 3 in) high and wide. Its leaves are linear to very narrowly elliptic or very narrowly triangular, 6–14 mm (0.24–0.55 in) long and 0.9–1.5 mm (0.035–0.059 in) wide, on a petiole 0.3–0.6 mm (0.012–0.024 in) long, the edges curved down and the tip sharply-pointed. The flowers are hairy and usually arranged in groups of 2 or 3 in leaf axils, with broadly egg-shaped to almost round bracts 0.7–1.0 mm (0.028–0.039 in) long, and similarly shaped bracteoles 1.0–1.3 mm (0.039–0.051 in) long at the base. The sepals are narrowly egg-shaped, 2.5–3.0 mm (0.098–0.118 in) long, straw-coloured to pale brown, sometimes tinged with pink. The petals are white or pale cream-coloured, and joined at the base to form a tube 3.3–4.7 mm (0.13–0.19 in) long, the lobes 3.0–4.6 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long and hairy inside. Flowering occurs between April and September and the fruit is a narrowly elliptic drupe 3.6–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long.

Taxonomy and naming

Styphelia deserticola was first formally described in 2020 by Michael Hislop in the journal Swainsona from specimens he collected near Bulfinch in 2006. The specific epithet (saxicola) means "rock-inhabitant" or "stone-inhabitant".

Distribution and habitat

This styphelia grows in rocky places from Bulfinch to Bullabulling and Diemals in the Coolgardie and Yalgoo bioregions of inland Western Australia.

Conservation status

Styphelia saxicola is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.