Philotheca falcata

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Sickle-leaved waxflower
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Philotheca
Species:
P. falcata
Binomial name
Philotheca falcata
(Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson [1]
Synonyms [1]
  • Eriostemon falcatusPaul G.Wilson

Philotheca falcata, commonly known as the sickle-leaved waxflower, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, densely-branched shrub with narrow club-shaped leaves and single flowers on the ends of branchlets.

Contents

Description

Philotheca falcata is a densely-branched shrub that grows to a height of 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) with densely glandular-warty branchlets. The leaves are narrow club-shaped and curved, about 6 mm (0.24 in) long with warty glands. The flowers are borne singly on the ends of the branchlets, each flower on a pedicel about 2 mm (0.079 in) long. There are five triangular sepals about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and five elliptic white petals about 7 mm (0.28 in) long. The ten hairy stamens are free from each other and the style is glabrous. Flowering has been recorded in October. [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

This philotheca was first formally described in 1970 by Paul Wilson who gave it the name Eriostemon falcatus and published the description in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by William Blackall near Yellowdine in 1931. [4] [5] In 1998, Wilson changed the name to Philotheca falcata in the same journal. [6] [7]

Distribution and habitat

The only known specimens of Philotheca falcata were growing in woodland near Southern Cross and near Holleton. [3]

Conservation status

This species is classified as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia). The main threat to the species is habitat alteration caused by land clearing. [2] [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

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Philotheca spicata, commonly known as pepper and salt, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with linear to narrow elliptical leaves and pink, mauve or blue flowers arranged in a raceme on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca apiculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow club-shaped leaves and small clusters of white to pink flowers on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca basistyla, commonly known as the white-flowered philotheca, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow club-shaped leaves and white flowers arranged singly on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca coateana is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with small, elliptical leaves and white flowers with a pink midline, arranged singly on the ends of branchlets.

<i>Philotheca coccinea</i> Species of plant

Philotheca coccinea is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with club-shaped leaves that are warty on the lower surface, and red to pink flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

Philotheca cuticularis is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a rounded shrub with small, crowded leaves and small white flowers arranged singly on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca cymbiformis is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading small shrub with fleshy, narrow elliptic leaves and single white and reddish brown flowers on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca ericifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a much-branched shrub with glandular-warty branchlets, needle-shaped leaves and white to pink flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to six on the ends of the branchlets.

Philotheca fitzgeraldii is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact or spreading shrub with cylindrical, glandular-warty leaves and white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils and on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca glabra is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the inland south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with elliptical to club-shaped leaves and white flowers tinged with pink and arranged singly or in twos or three on the ends of branchlets.

<i>Philotheca glasshousiensis</i> Species of plant

Philotheca glasshousiensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a shrub with densely glandular-warty branchlets, lance-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves clustered near the ends of the branchlets and cream-coloured flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to five.

Philotheca nutans is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, densely-branched shrub with club-shaped to cylindrical, glandular-warty leaves and pendent, pale yellow to pale red flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Philotheca pachyphylla</i> Species of plant

Philotheca pachyphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub with fleshy, oblong, prominently glandular-warty leaves and white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

<i>Philotheca pinoides</i> Species of plant

Philotheca pinoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, erect undershrub with needle-shaped, glandular-warty leaves and pale pink or red flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to three in the axil of leaves at the end of branchlets.

<i>Philotheca queenslandica</i> Species of plant

Philotheca queenslandica is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Queensland. It is a wiry shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end toward the base and densely crowded near the ends of the glandular-warty branchlets, and cream-coloured flowers tinged with pink and arranged singly in leaf axils.

Philotheca rhomboidea is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small undershrub with thick, broadly elliptic to round leaves and white to pale pink flowers arranged singly or in twos or threes at the end of branchlets.

<i>Philotheca sericea</i> Species of plant

Philotheca sericea is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an undershrub with small oval to elliptical leaves and white to pink flowers usually arranged singly at the end of branchlets.

<i>Philotheca sporadica</i> Species of plant

Philotheca sporadica, commonly known as Kogan waxflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Queensland. It is a shrub with small, narrow oval leaves with the narrower end toward the base and white flowers with a pink midrib, usually arranged singly on the ends of branchlets.

<i>Philotheca thryptomenoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Philotheca thryptomenoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small undershrub with oval to club-shaped leaves and white flowers with a broad, reddish-brown stripe, arranged singly on the ends of branchlets.

Philotheca wonganensis, commonly known as Wongan philotheca, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with thin, cylindrical leaves and white flowers with a pink central stripe, usually arranged singly in leaf axils.

References

  1. 1 2 "Philotheca falcata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Philotheca falcata — Sickle-leaved Waxflower". Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 Wilson, Paul G. (2013). Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 383. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 Wilson, Paul G. (1970). "A taxonomic revision of the genera Crowea, Eriostemon and Phebalium (Rutaceae)". Nuytsia. 1 (1): 34. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  5. "Eriostemon falcatus". APNI. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  6. "Philotheca falcata". APNI. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  7. Wilson, Paul G. (1998). "A Taxonomic Review of the genera Eriostemon and Philotheca". Nuytsia. 12 (2): 251. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  8. "Conservation advice Philotheca falcata (Sickle-leaved waxflower)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  9. "Philotheca falcata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.