Ricinocarpos marginatus

Ricinocarpos marginatus is a monoecious shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–3 m (1 ft 8 in – 9 ft 10 in), its young branchlets covered with white, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are very narrowly elliptic, 45–90 mm (1.8–3.5 in) long and 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) wide on a densely hairy petiole 1–6 mm (0.039–0.236 in) long. The lower surface of the leaves is covered with soft, white, star-shaped hairs. The flowers are arranged in groups of all male flowers, or up to three female flowers surrounded by many male flowers. Male flowers are on a slender pedicel 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) long, the sepals joined at the base and covered on both sides with white, star-shaped hairs, the sepal lobes egg-shaped to more or less elliptic and about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long. The petals are white and egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and wide. Each male flower has about 25 stamens. Female flowers are on a stout pedicel 6–15 mm (0.24–0.59 in) long and have narrowly oblong, white petals covered on both sides with soft, star-shaped hairs. Flowering has been observed in June and December, and the fruit is an elliptic capsule 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide.^[2][3]

Ricinocarpos marginatus was first formally described in 1873 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis from specimens collected by Allan Cunningham on the north-west coast of Western Australia.^[2][4][5] The specific epithet (marginatus) means "furnished with a border", referring to the thickened edges of the leaves.^[6]