Family: Amaranthaceae
Ptilotus latifolius
Citation:
R. Br. in Sturt, Exped. Centr. Aust., Bot. App. 88 (1849) var. latifolius. Common_name: Tangled mulla mulla, white fox tail.
Synonymy: Trichinium latifolium R. Br. ex Ewart & O.B. Davies, Fl. North. Terr. 100 (1917).
, Ptilotus latifolius Common name: None
Description:
Annual rarely bush-like perennial, intricately branched, to 0.8 rarely 1 m high and 1.3 m across, young shoots and leaves at first with a fluffy pubescence of crisp hairs, branchlets only remaining hairy; leaves broad-obovate to spathulate, to 8 x 2.5 cm, with a long petiole.
Spikes numerous, pale-pink, soon fading to silvery-white, roundish, 1-2 x 1-1.4 cm, with 10-20 flowers, often supported by 1 or 2 smaller leaves; bract and bracteoles thin and very broad, bracteoles (c. 6 x 5 mm) longer than the bract and the perianth, which is c. 4.5 mm long, pink-tipped when fresh; perianth-segments free down to an open disk, bipartite with a densely villous claw and a subglabrous pink limb above, dorsal pubescence hardly exceeding the apices, all glabrous inside; stamens all perfect, cupule short with minute forked membranous teeth; ovary sessile, glabrous, style central.
| Ptilotus latifolius twig and staminal cup.
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Image source: fig 185b in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Distribution:
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S.Aust.: NW, LE, GT. All mainland States except Vic.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: have been recorded from all time of the year, especially July — Oct.
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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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