Ptilotus leucocoma

Ptilotus leucocoma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Ptilotus
Species:	P. leucocoma
Binomial name
Ptilotus leucocoma Moq. F.Muell. [1]
Synonyms [1]
Ptilotus calostachyus var. kennediaeEwart & Jean White nom. inval., nom. nud. Ptilotus humifususBenl Ptilotus kennediae Ewart & Jean White nom. inval., nom. nud. Ptilotus leucocomusA.D.Chapm. orth. var. Ptilotus leucomaDunlop orth. var. Trichinium leucocomaMoq.

Habit near Cunnamulla

Ptilotus leucocoma, commonly known as small purple foxtail ^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is endemic to inland eastern Australia. It is a spreading perennial herb with linear stem leaves and cylindrical spikes of deep red to purple flowers.

Description

Ptilotus leucocoma is a spreading perennial herb that typically grows to a height of about 30 cm (12 in). Its stems leaves are linear, 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long. The flowers purple and arranged in cylindrical spikes 20–25 mm (0.79–0.98 in) long and about 10 mm (0.39 in) wide, each flower with perianth segments 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, the outer surface covered with soft hairs and the inner surface with woolly hairs at the base but glabrous above. There are 5 stamens and the ovary is stalked and glabrous. ^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1849 by Alfred Moquin-Tandon who gave it the name Trichinium leucocoma in de Candolle's Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis . ^{[4] [5]} in 1882, Ferdinand von Mueller transferred the species to Ptilotus as P. leucocoma in his Systematic Census of Australian Plants . ^[6]

Distribution and habitat

Small purple foxtail is widespread from near Wilcannia in western New South Wales to Windorah in Queensland with outlying populations near Cloncurry and 60 km (37 mi) west of Urandangie. It grows on sandy loam with mulga or on stony hills with Eremophila or Senna species. ^{[2] [7]}

References

1. "Ptilotus leucocoma". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
2. Jacobs, Surrey Wilfrid Laurance; Lapinpuro, L. "Ptilotus leucocoma". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
3. "Ptilotus leucocoma". lucid keys. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
4. "Trichinium leucocoma". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
5. Moquin-Tandon, Alfred (1849). de Candolle, Ausgustin P. (ed.). Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive, Enumeratio contracta ordinum generum specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarium, juxta methodi naturalis, normas digesta. Paris: Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Würtz. pp. 292–293. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
6. "Ptilotus leucocoma". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
7. Bean, Anthony R. (2008). "A synopsis of Ptilotus (Amaranthaceae) in eastern Australia". Telopea. 12 (2): 238. Retrieved 14 September 2025.