Ptilotus propinquus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ptilotus propinquus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Ptilotus |
| Species: | P. propinquus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ptilotus propinquus | |
Ptilotus propinquus, commonly known as Gammon Ranges fox-tail,[2] is a species of flowering plant of the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to inland South Australia. It is a much branched, broadly spreading, spiny shrub, with sessile egg-shaped, more or less fleshy leaves, and pink or purple flowers.
Ptilotus propinquus is a much branched, broadly spreading, rounded, spiny shrub that typically grows to a height of 60 cm (24 in) with striated, glabrous, glaucous younger stems that later turn brown. The leaves are sessile, egg-shaped, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long, 1 mm (0.039 in) wide, and more or less fleshy, the upper surface glabrous and the lower surface with scattered hairs. There are 10 to 50 pink or purple flowers 11–12.5 mm (0.43–0.49 in) long on a rachis up to 50 mm (2.0 in) long with bracts and bracteoles 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long. The tepals are narrowly oblong, with a keel at the base, the outer tepals hairy and 1 mm (0.039 in) longer than the inner tepals. The stamens are 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) long and there are three staminodes up to 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. The ovary is hump-backed the style is 5.5–6.5 mm (0.22–0.26 in) long and fixed to the side of the ovary. Flowering occurs mainly from March to July, but has also been recorded in September and November.[2][3][4]