| Bootlace bush | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pimelea axiflora | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Thymelaeaceae |
| Genus: | Pimelea |
| Species: | P. axiflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Pimelea axiflora | |
Pimelea axiflora, commonly known as bootlace bush, [2] is a small shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small shrub with whitish flowers on mostly smooth stems.
Pimelea axiflora is a small dioecious shrub 0.2–3 m (8 in – 9 ft 10 in) high with smooth stems or occasionally hairy. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs are mostly linear or narrowly elliptic, upper surface mid-green, underside paler, 5–60 mm (0.20–2.36 in) long, 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) wide on a petiole 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The leaves are green, smooth and leaf margins mostly recurved. The inflorescence consists of a cluster of 2-10 white flowers in leaf axils with little or no stalk. The male flowers are larger, 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long and female 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long. The 2-4 flower bracts are usually oval shaped and 1.5–7 mm (0.059–0.276 in) long and 1–2.5 mm (0.039–0.098 in) wide. The green fruit are 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long. [2] [3]
Pimelea axiflora was first formally described in 1854 by Carl Meisner and the description was published in Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. [4] [5]
There are currently three subspecies accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
Bootlace bush is found at higher altitudes on the Grampians extending to the east coast in Victoria, in south-eastern New South Wales and on King Island, Tasmania. [2] [6]
Pimelea linifolia, commonly known as slender rice flower is a common, variable shrub widespread throughout eastern Australia. It has narrow leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and usually white flowers arranged in heads of seven or more on the ends of the stems, with four lance-shaped bracts at the base of the inflorescence. The plant may be toxic to livestock.
Pimelea microcephala, commonly known as mallee rice-flower or shrubby rice-flower is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to mainland Australia. It is an erect shrub with compact heads of male or female, white to yellow or greenish flowers on separate plants, the heads surrounded by 2 or 4 leaf-like involucral bracts.
Pimelea flava is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and compact clusters of 9 or more flowers with 2 or 4 elliptic to circular involucral bracts at the base. The flowers and bracts are white or yellow, depending on subspecies.
Pimelea octophylla, commonly known as woolly riceflower or downy riceflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy young stems, narrowly elliptic leaves and heads of 22 to 45 densely hairy, cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers surrounded by 6 to 12 leaf-like involucral bracts.
Pimelea spinescens, commonly known as plains rice-flower, spiny rice-flower or prickly pimelea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is a spreading undershrub with elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and heads of white, cream-coloured or yellow flowers surrounded by 4 elliptic, leaf-like involucral bracts.
Pimelea serpyllifolia, commonly known as thyme riceflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrowly elliptic to spatula-shaped leaves, and compact heads of 4 to 12 yellow, yellowish-green or white flowers surrounded by 2 or 4 leaf-like involucral bracts. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants.
Pimelea ligustrina is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae, and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with lance-shaped or narrowly elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and clusters of creamy-white, white or pinkish flowers usually surrounded by 4 or 8, greenish to reddish brown involucral bracts.
Pimelea glauca, commonly known as smooth riceflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It has elliptic to more or less lance-shaped or linear leaves and creamy-white flowers arranged in heads of seven or more on the ends of the stems, with four lance-shaped to egg-shaped bracts at the base of the inflorescence.
Pimelea pauciflora, commonly known as poison rice-flower, is a species of shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae. It has small yellow-lime flowers and green, smooth fleshy leaves, and is endemic to Eastern Australia.
Pimelea pagophila, commonly known as Grampians rice-flower, is a species of shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae. It has a restricted distribution, white flowers in spherical heads at the end of branches, green leaves arranged in opposite pairs and is endemic to Victoria, Australia.
Pimelea curviflora, also known as curved rice-flower, is a shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, hairy shrub with greenish-yellow or red tubular flowers.
Pimelea clavata is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas and offshore islands of southern Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrowly elliptic to more or less linear leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and head-like clusters of white to pale yellow, tube-shaped flowers surrounded by leaf-like involucral bracts.
Pimelea cracens is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and creamy green to pale yellow flowers surrounded by 6 or 8 yellowish or pale green and reddish involucral bracts.
Pimelea latifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with hairy young stems, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and greenish-yellow to white, tube-shaped flowers.
Pimelea lehmanniana is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly egg-shaped leaves and clusters of white to pale yellow flowers surrounded by 4 or 6, pale yellowish-green involucral bracts.
Pimelea leiophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a shrub with silky-hairy young stems, broadly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, and clusters of 15 to 25 or more, bright white or pink, tube-shaped flowers surrounded by 4 or 8 involucral bracts.
Pimelea leptospermoides, commonly known as serpentine rice flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a shrub with narrowly egg-shaped to elliptic leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers arranged in groups of up to 7.
Pimelea milliganii, commonly known as silver riceflower or Milligan's rice flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of Tasmania. It is a low, much-branched, densely hairy shrub with more or less elliptic leaves and compact clusters of white to pinkish flowers usually surrounded by two leaf-like involucral bracts.
Pimelea penicillaris, commonly known as sandhill riceflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Central Australia. It is an erect, dioecious shrub with densely hairy young stems, densely hairy, pale silvery green, elliptic leaves, and compact heads of white to yellow or pink flowers surrounded by 6 to 12 silky-hairy, silvery or brownish involucral bracts.
Pimelea subvillifera is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is native to the south-west of Western Australia and to South Australia. It is usually an erect shrub and has elliptic leaves and heads of white flowers surrounded by 8 to 18 narrowly egg-shaped involucral bracts.