Ptilotus obovatus

Last updated

Ptilotus obovatus
Ptilotus obovatus bisexual flower.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Ptilotus
Species:
P. obovatus
Binomial name
Ptilotus obovatus
Synonyms [1]
  • Gomotriche tomentosa Turcz. orth. var.
  • Goniotriche tomentosaTurcz.
  • Ptilotus lindleyiF.Muell.
  • Ptilotus obovatus(Gaudich.) F.Muell. var. obovatus
  • Trichinium lanatum Lindl.
  • Trichinium obovatumGaudich.
  • Trichinium obovatumGaudich. var. obovatum
  • Trichinium variabileF.Muell.
Habit Ptilotus obovatus shrub.jpg
Habit

Ptilotus obovatus, commonly known as smoke bush, silver bush, silver tails [2] or cotton bush, [3] is a spreading or rounded, much-branched perennial shrub or subshrub of the family Amaranthaceae and is found in arid areas of all mainland states and the Northern Territory of Australia. Its stems and leaves are densely hairy, the leaves sessile and egg-shaped or elliptic, and the flowers arranged in short spikes with a hairy, pink or purplish perianth.

Contents

Description

Ptilotus obovatus is a spreading or rounded, much-branched perennial shrub or subshrub that typically grows to a height of 1 m (3 ft 3 in), its stems and foliage densely covered with white, woolly hairs. Its leaves are arranged alternately, egg-shaped to elliptic, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, 12–50 mm (0.47–1.97 in) long and 4–17 mm (0.16–0.67 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in oblong to short-cylindrical spikes, 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) wide, often near the ends of branches. The flowers have five hairy pink or purplish perianth segments 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long with a bract and two sepal-like bracteoles at the base. There are three or four stamens, including two or one staminode/s. Flowering occurs throughout the year, and the fruit is 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long and 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) wide. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1829 by Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré who gave it the name Trichinium obovatum in Voyage autour du monde from specimens collected near Shark Bay. [6] [7] In 1868, Ferdinand von Mueller transferred the species to Ptilotus as P. obovatus in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae . [8] [9] The specific epithet (obovatus) means 'inverted egg-shaped'. [10]

The variety Ptilotus obovatus var. obovatus is recognised as a distinct taxon in Western Australia [11] and the Northern Territory. [12]

Distribution and habitat

Smoke bush is widely distributed and common in Western Australia, [13] South Australia, [5] the Northern Territory, [2] and Queensland [14] but is rare and "endangered" in Victoria under that state's Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 . [4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Ptilotus obovatus". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ptilotus obovatus". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  3. 1 2 Jacops, Surrey Wilfrid Laurance; Latinpuro, L. "Ptilotus obovatus". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  4. 1 2 Messina, Andre; Stajsic, Val. "Ptilotus obovatus". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Ptilotus obovatus". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Trichinium obovatum". APNI. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Gaudichaud-Beaupré, Charles (1829). Voyage Autour du Monde, sur les Corvettes de S.M. l'Uranie et la Physicienne. Botanique. Paris. p. 445. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Ptilotus obovatus". APNI. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  9. ↑ von Mueller, Ferdinand (1868). Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. Vol. 6. Melbourne: Victorian Government Printer. pp. 228–229. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  10. ↑ George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 272. ISBN   9780645629538.
  11. ↑ "Ptilotus obovatus var. obovatus". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  12. ↑ "Ptilotus obovatus var. obovatus". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "Ptilotus obovatus". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  14. ↑ "Taxon - Ptilotus obovatus". Queensland Government WildNet. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.