Philotheca tubiflora

Philotheca tubiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a compact, much-branched with more or less cylindrical leaves and white to pale pink flowers arranged singly on the ends of branchlets. It is only known from the western edge of the Great Victoria Desert.

Philotheca tubiflora

Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Philotheca
Species:
P. tubiflora
Binomial name
Philotheca tubiflora

Description

Philotheca tubiflora is a compact, much-branched shrub that typically grows to a height of 20–60 cm (7.9–23.6 in) and has branchlets that become grey to black with age. The leaves are thick, more or less cylindrical, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long with a small black point on the tip. The flowers are arranged singly on the ends of branchlets on a pedicel 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The five sepals are egg-shaped, 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long, and the five petals are narrowly elliptic, white to pale pink and about 10 mm (0.39 in) long. The ten stamens are joined to the petal tube and densely hairy above. Flowering occurs from June to September and the fruit is about 3 mm (0.12 in) long with a small beak.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

Philotheca tubiflora was first described in 1971 by Alex George in the journal Nuytsia from specimens he collected near Laverton, where it was growing on a "rocky hill with Callitris hugelii". At the time, it was the first record of a Philotheca in Western Australia.[4][5]

Distribution and habitat

This philotheca grows on rocky outcrops near Laverton on the western edge of the Great Victoria Desert in Western Australia.[3]

Conservation status

Philotheca tubiflora is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,[2] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.[6]

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References
  1. "Philotheca thryptomenoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  2. "Philotheca tubiflora". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. Wilson, Paul G.; Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.) (2013). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 374. Retrieved 15 August 2020.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. George, Alex S. (1970). "A new species of Philotheca, P. tubiflora - the first record of the genus, sensu stricto, for Western Australia. Nuytsia". Nuytsia. 1 (2): 208–209. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  5. "Philotheca tubiflora". APNI. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  6. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
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