Citation: Rudge, Trans. Linn. Soc. 11:299 (1815).

Derivation: After Dr Erasmus Darwin, 1731-1802, English physician and poet, grandfather of the great naturalist, Charles Darwin.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Darwinias.

Description:
Shrubs with small more or less entire sessile or subsessile opposite leaves.

Flowers axillary or in corymbose heads, subsessile with 2 scarious sometimes showy bracteoles enclosing them and in the S.Aust. species about as long as the hypanthium; hypanthium papillose hollow, cylindrical-campanulate, 5-ribbed, extending above the ovary; sepals 5, petaloid; petals 5, as long as the sepals; stamens 10, short, alternating with 10 minute staminodes, all united in a short ring at the base; anthers globular, opening in 2 small terminal pores; ovary 1-celled, enclosed in the lower part of the hypanthium; ovules few, on a short basal placenta; style exserted from the flower, bearded towards the summit.

Fruit indehiscent, consisting of the somewhat hardened hypanthium and ovary, usually 1-seeded; testa thin.

Distribution:  About 45 species, all Australian. Many of the species in W.Aust. have large showy bracts around the flowers.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Flowers solitary, axillary; prostrate shrub	D. homoranthoides 1.
1. Flowers in small globular heads; erect shrub	D. micropetala 2.

Author: Not yet available