Pimelea simplex, commonly known as desert rice-flower,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to inland Australia. It is a herb or semi-woody annual with narrowly elliptic to linear leaves, and compact heads of densely hairy white to yellowish-green flowers.
Pimelea simplex is herb or semi-woody annual that typically grows to a height of 5–50cm (2.0–19.7in) and has hairy young stems. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems and are usually narrowly elliptic, 3–30mm (0.12–1.18in) long and 0.8–3mm (0.031–0.118in) wide on a short petiole. The flowers are bisexual and borne on the ends of branches in dense clusters of many white to yellowish-green flowers, the rachis densely covered with fine hairs. The floral tube is 2.5–5.0mm (0.098–0.197in) long, the sepals erect and 0.4–1mm (0.016–0.039in) long. Flowering occurs from June to October.[2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy
Pimelea simplex was first formally described in 1853 by Ferdinand von Mueller in the journal Linnaea.[6][7] The specific epithet, (simplex) means "simple" or "undivided".[8]
Pimelea simplex subsp. continua(J.M.Black) Threlfall[9] (previously known as Pimelea continuaJ.M.Black), is a sturdy plant with flower clusters usually 10–18mm (0.39–0.71in) long at maturity, on peduncles up to 30mm (1.2in) long, the individual flowers 5–7mm (0.20–0.28in) long.[10][11]
Pimelea simplexF.Muell. subsp. simplex[12] is a slender plant with flower clusters up to 10mm (0.39in) long at maturity, on peduncles up to 15mm (0.59in) long, the individual flowers 4–6mm (0.16–0.24in) long.[13][14]
Distribution and habitat
Subspecies continua tends to grow on soils on heavier texture than subsp. simplex. Both species are found in inland Australia, but subsp. simpex has a wider distribution, occurring throughout most of South Australia, western New South Wales, central and south-western Queensland, and the far north-west of Victoria. Subspecies continua does not appear to occur in Victoria but is known from a few collections in the Northern Territory.[10][13][11][14][3][15]
1 2 Harden, Gwen. "Pimelea simplex". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
1 2 Rye, Barbara L. "Pimelea simplex". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
↑ "Pimelea simplex". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
↑ Rye, Barbara L. "Pimelea simplex subsp. continua". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
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