Ptilotus murrayi

Ptilotus murrayi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Ptilotus
Species:	P. murrayi
Binomial name
Ptilotus murrayi F.Muell. [1]
Synonyms [1]
Ptilotus murrayi var. major J.M.Black Ptilotus murrayiF.Muell. var. murrayi Ptilotus petiolatus Farmar Trichinium murrayi(F.Muell.) Ewart & O.B.Davies

Ptilotus murrayi, commonly known as Murray's fox-tail, ^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae and is native to parts of Australia. It is a prostrate to low-lying annual herb with terete stems, lance-shaped or spatula-shaped stem leaves and cylindrical spikes of pinkish white flowers.

Description

Ptilotus murrayi is a prostrate, mat-forming or low-lying annual herb that typically grows to a height of up to 1–15 cm (0.39–5.91 in), with terete, ribbed, glabrous stems. The stem leaves are lance-shaped to broadly lance-shaped or spatula-shaped, 5–30 mm (0.20–1.18 in) long, 3–9 mm (0.12–0.35 in) wide on a petiole 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long, and glabrous. ^{[3] [4]}

The flowers are pink and green or white and pink and borne singly or in cylindrical spikes in axils or at the ends of branches. There are egg-shaped, glabrous bracts 1.0–1.8 mm (0.039–0.071 in) long and 0.8–1.1 mm (0.031–0.043 in) wide and egg-shaped bracteoles 1.5–2.1 mm (0.059–0.083 in) long and 0.7–1 mm (0.028–0.039 in) wide. The outer sepals are narrowly lance-shaped, 2.0–3.3 mm (0.079–0.130 in) long and the inner sepals 1.8–2.8 mm (0.071–0.110 in) long. The style is 0.3–0.5 mm (0.012–0.020 in) long, straight and fixed to the centre of the ovary and there are five fertile stamens, the anthers 0.3–0.5 mm (0.012–0.020 in) long. Flowering occurs from April to August, extending into October in Queensland and South Australia, and the seeds are round, glossy black, about 0.9 mm (0.035 in) long and 0.7 mm (0.028 in) wide. ^{[3] [4]}

Taxonomy

Ptilotus murrayi was first formally described in 1863 by Ferdinand von Mueller in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from specimens collected near Cooper Creek. ^{[5] [6]} The specific epithet (murrayi) honours James Patrick Murray, medical practitioner, member of the Alfred William Howitt expedition to recover the bodies of Burke and Wills, and later a blackbirder, who collected the type specimen from flooded Cooper Creek. ^{[2] [7]}

Distribution and habitat

This species of Ptilotus grows in heavy, cracking soil on river banks and mud flats in the Carnarvon, Dampierland, Murchison, Gascoyne and Pilbara bioregions of Western Australia, in south-western Queensland and the Mitchell Grass Downs and Channel Country of South Australia. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Conservation status

Ptilotus murrayi is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions ^[4]

See also

• List of Ptilotus species

References

1. "Ptilotus murrayi". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
2. "Ptilotus murrayi". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
3. 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: 98–99. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
4. "Ptilotus murrayi". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
5. "Ptilotus murrayi". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
6. von Mueller, Ferdinand (1863). Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. Vol. 3. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. p. 145. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
7. George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 265. ISBN   9780645629538.