Ptilotus incanus

Ptilotus incanus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Ptilotus
Species:	P. incanus
Binomial name
Ptilotus incanus (R.Br.) Poir. [1]
Synonyms [1]
List Ptilotus helmsii F.Muell. & Tate ex Ewart & Jean White nom. inval., pro syn. Ptilotus incanus var. elongatus Benl Ptilotus incanus(R.Br.) Poir. var. incanus Ptilotus incanus var. parviflorus(Ewart & Jean White) Benl Ptilotus obovatus var. griseusBenl Trichinium gnaphalodes A.Cunn. ex Moq. Trichinium gnaphaloidesA.D.Chapm. orth. var. Trichinium incanumR.Br. Trichinium incanumR.Br. var. incanum Trichinium incanum var. parviflorumEwart & Jean White

Habit on a hill in the Pilbara

Ptilotus incanus, commonly known as grey fox-tail, ^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a soft, perennial herb or subshrub with hairy stems, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and short cylindrical or hemispherical spikes of pink flowers.

Description

Ptilotus incanus is a soft, perennial herb or subshrub, that typically grows to a height of 15–75 cm (5.9–29.5 in), its stems and leaves covered with whorled hairs. Its stem leaves are elliptic to egg-shaped, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, mostly 7–60 mm (0.28–2.36 in) long and 5–18 mm (0.20–0.71 in) wide. There are no leaves at the base of the plant. The flowers are arranged in short cylindrical to hemispherical spikes with hairy bracts 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and similar bracteoles 4.8–5.2 mm (0.19–0.20 in) long. The outer tepals are 6.5–9.5 mm (0.26–0.37 in) long and the inner tepals 6.0–8.5 mm (0.24–0.33 in) long with a tuft of hairs on the inner surface. The style is 3.5–3.8 mm (0.14–0.15 in) long and fixed to the side of the ovary. Flowering occurs from June to August. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown who gave it the name Trichinium incanum in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . ^{[5] [6]} In 1816, Jean Louis Marie Poiret transferred the species to Ptilotus as P. incanus in the Encyclopédie Méthodique, Botanique . ^[7] The specific epithet (incanus) means 'grey' or 'hoary'. ^[8]

Distribution and habitat

Ptilotus incanus grows in sandy soils on rocky outcrops, scree slopes and hills, in the north of Western Australia, ^[3] the southern half of the Northern Territory, ^[4] the north-west of South Australia ^[2] and western Queensland.

Conservation status

Ptilotus incanus is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, ^[3] and of "least concern" under the Northern Territory Government Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act ^[4] and the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992 . ^[9]

See also

• List of Ptilotus species

References

1. "Ptilotus incanus". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
2. "Ptilotus incanus". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
3. "Ptilotus incanus". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
4. "Ptilotus incanus". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
5. "Trichinium incanum". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
6. Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. London. p. 415. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
7. "Ptilotus incanus". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
8. George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 228. ISBN   9780645629538.
9. "Taxon - Ptilotus incanus". Queensland Government WildNet. Retrieved 12 August 2025.