Thomasia microphylla
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Thomasia microphylla | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Thomasia |
| Species: | T. microphylla |
| Binomial name | |
| Thomasia microphylla | |
Thomasia microphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves and racemes of pale pink or mauve flowers.
Thomasia microphylla is an erect, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 15–60 cm (5.9–23.6 in), its young stems covered with small scales surrounded by short hairs. Its leaves are egg-shaped, 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide on a petiole 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The flowers are arranged on the ends of branches in racemes of 2 to 4 on a peduncle 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long, each flower 12 mm (0.47 in) wide on a pedicel 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long. The sepals are pale pink or mauve, the petals minute. Flowering occurs from August to November.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy
Thomasia microphylla was first formally described in 1974 by Susan Paust in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Alex George near the Ravensthorpe Range in 1963.[2][5] The specific epithet (microphylla) means "small-leaved".[6]