Ptilotus crosslandii

Ptilotus crosslandii
Conservation status
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Ptilotus
Species:	P. crosslandii
Binomial name
Ptilotus crosslandii (F.Muell.) Benl [1]
Synonyms [1]
Dipteranthemum crosslandiiF.Muell. Diptheranthemum crosslandiiF.Muell. orth. var.

Ptilotus crosslandii is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to inland areas of northern Western Australia. It is a prostrate ephemeral or perennial herb, with lance-shaped to elliptic stem leaves, and broadly oval spikes of sometimes more than 50 to 100 flowers.

Description

Ptilotus crosslandii is a prostrate, ephemeral or perennial herb with several brownish to purplish stems 10–70 cm (3.9–27.6 in) with side branches 1–15 cm (0.39–5.91 in) long. Up to 10 spoon-shaped, egg-shaped or wedge-shaped leaves 15–40 mm (0.59–1.57 in) long on a petiole up to 1.2 mm (0.047 in) long are crowded at the base of young plants. The stem leaves of adult plants are lance-shaped to elliptic, 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) wide and eventually glabrous. The flower spikes are broadly oval, 35–45 mm (1.4–1.8 in) long and arranged singly at the ends of branches on a hairy rachis 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long, with about 50 to 100 opalescent flowers. The outer tepals are spoon-shaped, and linear in the lower half, 25–35 mm (0.98–1.38 in) long, the inner tepals linear 7.5–10.5 mm (0.30–0.41 in) long. There are three stamens and the ovary is club-shaped, 3.8–4.3 mm (0.15–0.17 in) long. ^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1884 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Dipteranthemum crosslandii in his Southern Science Record from speciens collected near the upper Murchison River by "C. Crossland, Esq.". ^[4] In 1990, Gerhard Benl transferred the species to Ptilotus as P. crosslandii the journal Mitteilungen der Botanischen Staatssammlung Munchen. ^{[2] [5]} The specific epithet (crosslandii) honours Charles Crossland (1858–1911), a surveyor from Guildford, who collected the type specimen. ^[6]

Distribution and habitat

Ptilotus crosslandii grows in sandy soil on colluvial plains in the Carnarvon, Gascoyne and Murchison bioregions of northern Western Australia. ^[3]

Conservation status

This species of Ptilotus is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, ^[3] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. ^[7]

See also

• List of Ptilotus species

References

1. "Ptilotus crosslandii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
2. Benl, Gerard (1990). "Further taxonomic studies in Australian Amaranthaceae". Mitteilungen der Botanischen Staatssammlung Munchen. 29: 496–498. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
3. "Ptilotus crosslandii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. "Dipteranthemum crosslandii". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
5. "Ptilotus crosslandii". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
6. George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 173. ISBN   9780958034180.
7. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 25 April 2025.