Philotheca cymbiformis

Philotheca cymbiformis is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading small shrub with fleshy, narrow elliptic leaves and single white and reddish brown flowers on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca cymbiformis

Priority Two — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Philotheca
Species:
P. cymbiformis
Binomial name
Philotheca cymbiformis
(Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Eriostemon cymbiformis Paul G.Wilson

Description edit

Philotheca cymbiformis is a shrub that grows to a height of 0.1–0.5 m (3.9 in – 1 ft 7.7 in) with greyish, glabrous stems. The leaves are narrow elliptical, fleshy, 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long and smooth or slightly glandular-warty. The flowers are borne singly on the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. There are five triangular sepals about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long and five egg-shaped white petals with a reddish-brown stripe and about 6 mm (0.24 in) long. The ten stamens each that are free from each other and densely hairy near the base. Flowering occurs from September to November.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming edit

This philotheca was first formally described in 1971 by Paul Wilson who gave it the name Eriostemon cymbiformis and published the description in the journal Nuytsia from specimens he collected in the Fitzgerald River Reserve.[3][4] In 1998, Wilson changed the name to Philotheca cymbiformis in the same journal.[5][6]

Distribution and habitat edit

Philotheca cymbiformis grows on sand in the Fitzgerald River National Park.[2]

Conservation status edit

This species is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife[7] meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Philotheca cymbiformis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b Wilson, Paul G.; Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.) (2013). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 385. Retrieved 1 August 2020. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b Wilson, Paul G. (1970). "Taxonomic notes on the family Rutaceae, principally of Western Australia". Nuytsia. 1 (2): 205. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Eriostemon cymbiformis". APNI. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Philotheca cymbiformis". APNI. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  6. ^ Wilson, Paul G. (1998). "A Taxonomic Review of the genera Eriostemon and Philotheca". Nuytsia. 12 (2): 248. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Philotheca cymbiformis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  8. ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 1 August 2020.