Citation: Banks & Sol. ex Gaertner, Fruct. 1:186 (1788).

Derivation: Greek pimele, fat; probably alluding to the fleshy cotyledons.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Riceflowers.

Description:
Herbs to tall shrubs, often with very tough bark.

Flowers bisexual or unisexual, borne in heads spikes or clusters; inflorescence with or without an involucre; perianth usually circumscissile above or around the ovary after flowering; stamens 2, inserted in the mouth of the tube and usually exceeding it; ovary with 2 carpels 1 of which is markedly constricted, with a glabrous lateral style.

Fruit a nut or occasionally drupaceous.

Distribution:  About 95 species occurring in Australia and New Zealand with a few species occurring in New Guinea, Timor and Lord Howe Island. (Threlfall (1983) The genus Pimelea (Thymelaeaceae) in eastern mainland Australia, Brunonia 5:113-201.)

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Anther cells on a broad dorsal connective and parallel on the inner face when dehisced
2. Dioecious; leaves covered with silky hairs	P. penicillaris 11.
2. Monoecious; leaves otherwise
3. Leaves and stems glabrous	P. stricta 16.
3. Leaves and stems hairy
4. Involucre poorly developed; pedicels clustered on the end of the peduncle; flowers greenish-yellow and often red on the lobes	P. curviflora 1.
4. Involucre well developed; pedicels grouped together on a dome-shaped receptacle; flowers white or cream
5. Leaves 2-15 mm long; involucral bracts 6-22; flowers 25-100 in each head	P. octophylla 10.
5. Leaves 2-8.5 mm long; involucral bracts 3-6; flowers 3-18 in each head	P. phylicoides 13.
1. Anther cells on a narrow (rarely broad) connective and back to back when dehisced
6. Flowers borne in ebracteate spikes which are compact when young and elongate at maturity; bracts apparently present in the bud due to the closeness of the leaves
7. Bushy shrub; perianth bearing fine white hairs and long coarse brown patent hairs (sometimes white in the bud)	P. williamsonii 18.
7. Herbs, woody at the base; perianth bearing hairs which are never brown
8. Spikes remaining compact or elongating to up to 1.8 cm at maturity, dense	P. simplex 15.
8. Spikes elongating to over 10 cm at maturity, interrupted
9. Perianth tube covered outside with short antrorse hairs	P. elongata 2.
9. Perianth tube covered outside with long patent hairs	P. trichostachya 17.
6. Flowers borne in heads with a well differentiated involucre
10. Dioecious shrubs
11. Stems glabrous
12. Pedicels bearing long coarse hairs; perianth glabrous	P. serpyllifolia 14.
12. Pedicels bearing short fine hairs; perianth bearing at least some short fine curly hairs outside	P. microcephala 9.
11. Stems bearing short fine appressed hairs
13. Bracts exceeding the inflorescence; leaves up to 33 mm long; pedicels bearing short hairs; female perianth slender and continued well above the ovary	P. petrophila 12.
13. Bracts not exceeding the inflorescence; leaves up to 10 mm long; pedicels bearing long hairs; female perianth continued only shortly above the ovary	P. flava 3.
10. Monoecious shrubs
14. Stems bearing short fine hairs	P. humilis 5.
14. Stems glabrous
15. Involucral bracts enclosing the inflorescence	P. macrostegia 8.
15. Involucral bracts not enclosing the inflorescence
16. Leaves up to 30 cm wide, with the veins distinct on the lower surface; involucral bracts usually reflexed in the fruiting condition	P. ligustrina 6.
16. Leaves up to 7 mm wide, with only the mid-vein distinct on the lower surface; involucral bracts not reflexed
17. Inner bracts ciliate on the margins; perianth glabrous on the persistent base	P. glauca 4.
17. Inner bracts not ciliate on the margins; perianth not glabrous on the persistent base	P. linifolia 7.

Author: Not yet available