| Ptilotus alexandri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Ptilotus |
| Species: | P. alexandri |
| Binomial name | |
| Ptilotus alexandri | |
Ptilotus alexandri is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to the far west of Western Australia. It is an erect, annual herb with spatula-shaped leaves, spikes of pink flowers and glossy black seeds.
Ptilotus alexandri is an erect annual herb that typically grows to 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) high and has several more or less erect, sometimes hairy stems. Its leaves are spatula-shaped, 5–45 mm (0.20–1.77 in) long and 2–12 mm (0.079–0.472 in) wide. The flowers are pink, borne in oval or cylindrical spikes of 30 to 70, 13–30 mm (0.51–1.18 in) long and 15–23 mm (0.59–0.91 in) wide. There are hairy bracts 4.8–5.3 mm (0.19–0.21 in) long and hairy bracteoles 6.0–6.4 mm (0.24–0.25 in) long at the base of the flowers. The outer tepals are 8.9–10 mm (0.35–0.39 in) long and the inner tepals 8.6–9 mm (0.34–0.35 in) long. Flowering occurs from August to October and the seeds are 1.0–1.2 mm (0.039–0.047 in) long and glossy black. [2] [3]
Ptilotus alexandri was first formally described in 1974 by Gerhard Benl in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Alex George near Quobba Homestead, north of Carnarvon in 1970. [4] The specific epithet (alexandri) honours the discoverer of the species and collector of the type specimens, "in recognition of his contributions to the flora of Western Australia". [3]
Ptilotus alexandri grows in sand on sand dunes in the Carnarvon and Yalgoo bioregions of far western Western Australia. [2]
This species of Ptilotus is listed as "Priority Two" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, [2] meaning that it is poorly known and from one or a few locations. [5]
Acacia anastema, commonly known as sandridge gidgee or sandplain gidgee, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a fairly small area of semi-arid land east of Carnarvon. It is a tree with linear phyllodes, spikes of golden yellow flowers, and pods up to 140 mm (5.5 in) long.
Verticordia forrestii, commonly known as Forrest's featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the north-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small, egg-shaped leaves and massed displays of scented pink to red flowers in spring.
Ptilotus is a genus of approximately 125 species of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae, and is endemic to Australia, apart from Ptilotus conicus that also occurs in Malesia. Plants in the genus Ptilotus are annual or perennial herbs or shrubs with usually hairy spikes of compact spherical, oval or cylindrical flowers.
Ptilotus clementii, commonly known as tassel top, is a native Australian annual herb growing to between 0.3 and 1 metre high. Nodding, green flower spikes are produced between March and November in the species' native range.
Caladenia elegans, commonly known as the elegant spider orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to a small area near the coast of the south-west of Western Australia. It resembles the common spider orchid and often grows with it but its flowers are a different colour and C. elegans usually grows in poorly-drained soils. Only about 2,300 plants remained in 2016.
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.
Persoonia brevirhachis is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, often spreading shrub with smooth, compact bark, mostly narrow spatula-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and yellow to greenish yellow flowers borne singly or in pairs in leaf axils.
Persoonia spathulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with hairy young branchlets, spatula-shaped leaves, and yellow flowers arranged singly or in pairs on a rachis up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long that continues to grow after flowering.
Persoonia comata is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, sometimes spreading to low-lying shrub with mostly smooth bark, spatula-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and yellow flowers usually in groups of ten to fifty along a rachis up to 250 mm (9.8 in) long.
Persoonia manotricha is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy young branchlets, more or less cylindrical leaves and greenish yellow flowers in groups of up two to eight on a rachis 2–15 mm (0.079–0.591 in) long. It is similar to P. bowgada and P. hexagona but has longer pedicels than P. bowgada and differently grooved leaves from P. hexagona.
Grevillea rogersoniana, commonly known as Rogerson's grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to a restricted area near Shark Bay in Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with spatula-shaped leaves with 3 to 5 teeth or shallow lobes on the end, and cylindrical clusters of reddish pink flowers, the style with a cream-coloured tip.
Ptilotus pyramidatus, the pyramid mulla mulla, is a small white herb in the family Amaranthaceae.
Ptilotus polystachyus is a perennial herb in the Amaranthaceae family.
Goodenia granitica is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an annual herb with spatula-shaped, sometimes lobed leaves, in a rosette at the base of the plant, and racemes of yellow flowers.
Olearia occidentissima is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to the extreme west of Western Australia. It is an erect or prostrate, wind-pruned shrub with narrowly elliptic leaves that are woolly-hairy on the lower surface, and white, daisy-like inflorescences.
Olearia plucheacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with scattered hairy, thread-like to linear leaves, and white and yellow daisy-like inflorescences.
Schoenia filifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an annual herb with terete leaves and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Ptilotus actinocladus is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is a prostrate annual herb with a central stem and radiating lateral stems, linear to lance-shaped stem leaves, pink spherical or cylindrical spikes of flowers with long, silky hairs, and four fertile stamens.
Ptilotus aervoides, commonly known as mat mulla mulla, is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to western Australia. It is a prostrate, mat-forming annual or short-lived perennial herb, its stems densely hairy at first, egg-shaped to spatula-shaped stem leaves, dense spikes of hairy creamy-green flowers with two or three fertile stamens.
Ptilotus albidus is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is a compact perennial shrub with linear leaves, spherical spikes of white flowers and dull brown seeds.