Ptilotus daphneae

Ptilotus daphneae
Conservation status
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Ptilotus
Species:	P. daphneae
Binomial name
Ptilotus daphneae Lally [1]
Synonyms [1]
Ptilotus daphneLally orth.var.

Ptilotus daphneae is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to inland areas of central Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, and hemispherical spikes of 7 to 10 purple flowers.

Description

Ptilotus daphneae is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 30 cm (12 in) and has hairy, striated stems that become glabrous with age. The leaves are more or less sessile, green and somewhat fleshy, narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped, 2–5.5 mm (0.079–0.217 in) long and 0.5–1.5 mm (0.020–0.059 in) long. The flower spikes are loosely hemispherical, up to 25 mm (0.98 in) long on a rachis up to 8 mm (0.31 in) long, with 7 to 10 purple flowers 15–19 mm (0.59–0.75 in) long. The tepals are linear and curve outwards, partly hairy and partly glabrous, the outer tepals 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) longer than the inner tepals. There are two fertile stamens and 3 staminodes and the ovary is hairy. ^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 2009 by Terena R. Lally who gave it the name Ptilotus daphne in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected in the Little Desert National Park. ^[4] In 2023, the Western Australian Herbarium changed the name to Ptilotus daphneae, referring to Alex George's book, Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. ^{[5] [6]} The specific epithet (daphneae) honours Ms Daphne Edinger, a volunteer at the Western Australian Herbarium. ^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Ptilotus daphneae has been observed growing on a stony, quartzite ridge, and is restricted to the Carnarvon Range about 160 km (99 mi) north-north-east of Wiluna in the Gascoyne and Little Sandy Desert bioregions of northern Western Australia. ^{[2] [3]}

Conservation status

Ptilotus daphneae is listed as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, ^[3] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations where it is potentially at risk. ^[7]

See also

• List of Ptilotus species

References

1. "Ptilotus daphne". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
2. Lally, Terena R. (2009). "New taxa of Ptilotus (Amaranthaceae) from Western Australia". Nuytsia. 19 (1): 53–57. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
3. "Ptilotus daphneae". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. "Ptilotus daphne". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
5. Percy-Bower, Julia M.; Parker, Cheryl M. (2023). "Updates to Western Australia's vascular plant census for 2022". Nuytsia. 34: 16. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
6. "Ptilotus daphneae". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
7. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 27 April 2025.