Ptilotus gomphrenoides

Ptilotus gomphrenoides
Near the Gascoyne River Middle Branch
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Ptilotus
Species:	P. gomphrenoides
Binomial name
Ptilotus gomphrenoides F. Muell. ex Benth. [1]
Synonyms [1]
Ptilotus gomphrenoidesF.Muell. nom. inval., nom. nud. Ptilotus gomphrenoides var. conglomeratus(Farmar) Benl Ptilotus gomphrenoides var. roseo-albus(Farmar) Benl Ptilotus roseo-albus var. conglomeratusFarmar Ptilotus roseo-albusFarmar var. roseo-albus

Ptilotus gomphrenoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, low-lying or rarely prostrate annual herb, with narrowly lance-shaped to broadly lance-shaped stem leaves, flowers arranged singly or in clusters, rarely in cylindrical spikes of pink flowers.

Description

Ptilotus gomphrenoides is an erect, sometimes low-lying or rarely prostrate annual herb, that typically grows to a height of up to 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in), its stems ribbed and glabrous or with a sparse covering of simple hairs. The leaves on the stems are arranged alternately, narrowly to broadly lance-shaped, 5–30 mm (0.20–1.18 in) long and 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide. The flowers pinkish white and arranged singly or in clusters in leaf axils or on the ends of stems on a peduncle 1–10 mm (0.039–0.394 in) long, or rarely in cylindrical spikes 4–20 mm (0.16–0.79 in) long and 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) wide, with egg-shaped, translucent bracts 1.1–1.4 mm (0.043–0.055 in) long, and egg-shaped, glabrous bracteoles 1.2–1.5 mm (0.047–0.059 in) long. The outer sepals are narrowly lance-shaped, 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and the inner sepals are 1.8–2.5 mm (0.071–0.098 in) long. There are 5 fertile stamens, the style is straight, 0.2–0.4 mm (0.0079–0.0157 in) long and fixed to the centre of the ovary. Flowering occurs from April to September. ^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy

Ptilotus gomphrenoides was first formally described in 1870 by George Bentham in his Flora Australiensis , from an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller. ^{[4] [5]} The specific epithet (gomphrenoides) means ' Gomphrena -like'. ^[6]

Distribution and habitat

This species of Ptilotus usually grows on flat, seasonally inundated floodplains, riverbanks or creek lines in red or brown soils ^[2] in the Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Murchison, Pilbara and Tanami bioregions of Western Australia. ^[3]

Conservation status

Ptilotus gomphrenoides is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. ^[3]

See also

• List of Ptilotus species

References

1. "Ptilotus gomphrenoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
2. Hammer, Timothy A. (2018). "The Ptilotus murrayi species group: synonymisation of P. petiolatus under P. murrayi and description of the new Western Australian species P. unguiculatus (Amaranthaceae)". Swainsona. 31: 99–100. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
3. "Ptilotus gomphrenoides". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. "Ptilotus gomphrenoides". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 19 July 2025.
5. Bentham, George (1870). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell Reeves & Co. p. 244. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
6. George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 213. ISBN   9780645629538.