Pimelea imbricata

Pimelea imbricata is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.2–1.5 m (7.9 in – 4 ft 11.1 in). The leaves are more or less narrowly elliptic, 1–16 mm (0.039–0.630 in) long and 0.6–5 mm (0.024–0.197 in) wide on a short petiole. The flowers are arranged in compact clusters, surrounded by 10 to 22 involucral bracts that are 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long, 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide and green, sometimes partly red to purple. The sepals are 1.5–3.3 mm (0.059–0.130 in) long and hairy on the outside. Flowering occurs from August to March with a peak from September to January.^[2][3][4]

Pimelea imbricata was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his book Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.^[5][6] The specific epithet (imbricata) means "imbricate".^[7]

The names of 5 varieties of P. imbricata have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Pimelea imbricata R.Br. var. imbricata^[8] has stems that are hairy near the pale to deep pink flowers, the style part of the floral tube densely hairy.^[9][10][4]

• Pimelea imbricata var. major (Meisn.) Rye^[11] has glabrous stems, the style part of the floral tube sparsely to moderately hairy.^[12][13][4]

• Pimelea imbricata var. petraea (Meisn.) Rye^[14] has stems that are hairy near the usually white or cream-coloured flowers, the floral tube 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) long, and the style part of the floral tube densely hairy.^[15][4]

• Pimelea imbricata var. piligera (Benth.) Diels^[16] has stems that are hairy near the usually white or cream-coloured flowers, the floral tube usually 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long, and the style part of the floral tube densely hairy.^[17][18][4]

• Pimelea imbricata var. simulans Rye^[19] has glabrous stems, white flowers, the floral tube 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long, and the style part of the floral tube densely hairy.^[20][21]