Family: Amaranthaceae
Ptilotus erubescens
Citation:
Schldl., Linnaea 20:575 (1847).
Synonymy: Trichinium erubescens (Schldl.)Moq. in A. DC., Prod. 13, 2:293 (1849); T. linifolium Cunn. ex Moq. in A. DC., Prod. 13, 2:292 (1849).
Common name: Hairy heads (or tails).
Description:
Stems up to 15 from a thick branched woody stock, usually simple, to 0.4 m tall, slightly downy, with a basal tuft of straight hairs; leaves numerous, linear-acute, glabrescent, radical ones to 12 x 0.4 cm, petiolate, cauline ones 2.5 x 0.2 cm, the uppermost often passing into bracts.
Spikes solitary, subglobose to ovoid, to 15-flowered, bract and bracteoles to c. 1.5 cm long; bract glabrous except near the base; bracteoles with a hirsute midrib; perianth purple to virescent, to c. 20 mm long, forming a disk or short turbinate tube; perianth-segments almost free to the base, up-curved, plumose, the silvery dorsal hairs not exceeding the denticulate apex of the outer perianth-segments, inner segments densely woolly above the inner base; 4 fertile stamens (4-6 mm) and 1 larger staminode (to c. 12 mm) dilated below and united to an oblique cupule with a free ring; ovary more or less villous at the top, style lateral.
Distribution:
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S.Aust.: FR, NL, MU, SL, SE. N.S.W.; Vic.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: spring and summer.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Author:
Not yet available
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