Pimelea spinescens

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Pimelea spinescens
Pimelea spinescens.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Genus: Pimelea
Species:
P. spinescens
Binomial name
Pimelea spinescens

Pimelea spinescens, commonly known as plains rice-flower, spiny rice-flower or prickly pimelea, [1] 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.

Contents

Description

Pimelea spinescens is a spreading, stunted, long-lived undershrub that typically grows to a height of 5–30 cm (2.0–11.8 in). It has a deep taproot and its stems are glabrous, becoming spiny as they mature. The leaves are narrowly elliptic or elliptic, 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in heads of 6 to 12 surrounded by 4 elliptic, sessile, leaf-like involucral bracts 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) long and 1.5–4 mm (0.059–0.157 in) wide, male and female flowers usually on separate plants. The flowers are white, cream-coloured or yellow, the heads of male flowers erect and female heads drooping. The flower tube is 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long, the sepals 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long, and the stamens are shorter than the sepals. Flowering occurs in June and July. [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

Pimelea spinescens was first formally described in 1988 by Barbara Lynette Rye in Flora of Australia from specimens collected by Neville Scarlett near Myers Creek, (north of Healesville) in 1980. The specific epithet (spinescens) means "becoming thorny". [6]

In the same publication, Rye described two subspecies of P. spinescens, and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

Subspecies pubiflora was thought to be extinct since it had not been collected since 1901, but was rediscovered in 1980, growing in grassy woodland in the Wimmera region of Victoria. [9] Subspecies spinescens grows mainly in grassland and open shrubland between Melbourne, Horsham and Echuca. [11]

Conservation status

Both subspecies of P. spinescens are listed as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the Victorian Government Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 . [9] [11] The main threats to the species include habitat loss and fragmentation, inappropriate fire regimes, weed invasion, and grazing by feral herbivores and livestock. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Pimelea microcephala</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Pimelea humilis</i> Species of plant

Pimelea humilis, also known as common riceflower or dwarf riceflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect or scrambling shrub with hairy stems, elliptic to lance-shaped leaves and heads of 12 to 52 of creamy-white, bisexual or female flowers.

<i>Pimelea flava</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Pimelea octophylla</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Pomaderris oraria</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris oraria, commonly known as Bassian dogwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a compact shrub with hairy branchlets, hairy, elliptic leaves and panicles of hairy, greenish to cream-coloured or crimson-tinged flowers.

<i>Pimelea serpyllifolia</i> Species of plant


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.

<i>Pimelea ligustrina</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Pimelea ciliolaris</i> Species of shrub

Pimelea ciliolaris is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a stunted shrub with narrowly elliptic leaves and heads of densely hairy, cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers.

<i>Pimelea rosea</i> Species of shrub

Pimelea rosea, commonly known as rose banjine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrowly elliptic leaves, and clusters of pale pink to reddish-purple flowers surrounded by 4 egg-shaped involucral bracts.

<i>Pimelea sylvestris</i> Species of shrub

Pimelea sylvestris is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrowly elliptic to elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and compact heads of white or pink flowers surrounded by 2 or 4 pairs of narrowly egg-shaped involucral bracts.

<i>Pomaderris andromedifolia</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris andromedifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with lance-shaped to elliptic leaves and cream-coloured to yellow flowers.

<i>Pomaderris betulina</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris betulina, commonly known as birch pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with hairy young stems, lance-shaped to oblong or elliptic leaves, and yellowish flowers.

Pimelea brevifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an undershrub or shrub with erect, elliptic leaves, and heads of white flowers surrounded by four involucral bracts.

<i>Pimelea cracens</i> Species of flowering plant

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 eyrei is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy, narrowly elliptic leaves and clusters of densely hairy, white or cream-coloured flowers.

Pimelea halophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an undershrub with elliptic leaves and compact clusters of 4 to 20 cream-coloured or white flowers surrounded by 3 or 4 green involucral bracts, and grows on islands in salt lakes.

Pimelea micrantha, commonly known as silky rice-flower is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a much-branched undershrub with narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped leaves and compact clusters or heads of densely hairy, creamy white flowers.

<i>Pimelea simplex</i> Species of plant

Pimelea simplex, commonly known as desert rice-flower, 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.

<i>Pimelea stricta</i> Species of plant

Pimelea stricta, commonly known as gaunt rice-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrowly elliptic or linear leaves, and compact heads of densely hairy, creamy-white to yellow flowers surrounded by 4 egg-shaped 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.

References

  1. 1 2 "SPRAT - Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens". Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "Pimelea spinescens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Rye, Barbara L. "Pimelea spinescens". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Entwisle, Timothy J.; Walsh, Neville G. "Pimelea spinescens". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Conservation Advice Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens" (PDF). Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "Pimelea spinescens". APNI. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Pimelea spinescens subsp. pubiflora". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  8. 1 2 Entwisle, Timothy J. "Key to the subspecies of Pimelea spinescens". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Entwisle, Timothy J.; Walsh, Neville G. "Pimelea spinescens subsp. pubiflora". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  10. ↑ "Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Entwisle, Timothy J.; Walsh, Neville G. "Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
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