Citation: F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 6:31 (1867).

Synonymy: Leucopogon exarrhenus F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 1:178 (1859); Styphelia pusilliflora F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 4:105 (1864); L. hirtellus F. Muell. var. glabrifolius J. Black, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 36:24 (1912); L. intermedius Cheel, Trans. R. Soc. S.Aust. 39:99 (1915); L. hirtellus F. Muell. ex Benth., Fl. Aust. 4:218 (1869); S. hirtella (F. Muell. ex Benth.)F. Muell. ex Tate, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 3:80 (1880); S. exarrhena (F. Muell.)F. Muell. var. hirtella (F. Muell. ex Benth.)J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 446 (1926).

Common name: Desert styphelia, beard-heath styphelia.

Description:
Erect shrub, 30-60 cm high; stems grey; leaves ovate, 3.2-9.5 mm long, 1.4-4.9 mm wide, flat to convex, thick, apex often down-turned, tip to 1 mm; surfaces glabrous or sparsely velvety above, 5-11-nerved below with 3 central veins raised, margins entire to crenulate, rarely ciliolate towards the apex or overall.

Flowers white, erect, 1 or 2 plus a rudiment, sessile or very shortly pedunculate; bracts, bracteoles and sepals ovate, acuminate-aristate, glabrous except for ciliolate margins; bracts 2-4, 0.75-1.2 x 0.5-0.8 mm; bracteoles 1.3-2 x 0.8-1.2 mm; sepals 2.4-3.2 ~ 0.75-1.1 mm; corolla tube 3-4.3 mm long, glabrous internally except for the upper 0.8-1.5 mm; lobes aristate, 3.5-4.7 x 0.9-1.1 mm, sparsely bearded inside; anthers oblong-linear, 0.8-1.3 (rarely 1.6) mm long, filaments 1.8-2.7 mm long; ovary elliptic, 0.7-1.1 x 0.35-0.55 mm, glabrous; style 5-7 mm long, glabrous or pubescent below the stigma; nectary annular, 0.3-0.35 mm high, glabrous, with a sinuate-toothed upper margin.

Fruit elliptic, c. 1.6 x 0.5 (?young), glabrous.

Distribution:  Found in mallee scrub, coastal shrublands and heathlands on sandy soils over limestone. S.Aust.: FR, EP, MU, SL, KI, SE.   Vic. Conservation status: native Flowering time: April — Aug.; fruit: June — Aug.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available