Thomasia foliosa

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Thomasia foliosa
Thomasia foliosa - Flickr - Kevin Thiele (1).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Thomasia
Species:
T. foliosa
Binomial name
Thomasia foliosa

Thomasia discolor is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a multi-stemmed shrub with densely hairy branchlets, coarsely serrated, egg-shaped leaves with a heart-shaped base, and many small pink, cream-coloured or white flowers.

Contents

Description

Thomasia discolor is a multistemmed shrub that typically grows to 0.3–1 m (1 ft 0 in – 3 ft 3 in) high, 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) wide and has its branchlets densely covered with star-shaped hairs. The leaves are egg-shaped with a heart-shaped base, 6–45 mm (0.24–1.77 in) long and 5–25 mm (0.20–0.98 in) wide on a petiole 5–18 mm (0.20–0.71 in) long. The edges of the leaves are coarsely serrated, the lower surface paler than the upper surface and sparsely hairy. The flowers are arranged in racemes of 3 to 10 about 10 mm (0.39 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long, with linear bracts and sparsely hairy bracteoles 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long at the base. The sepals are pink, cream-coloured or white. Flowering occurs from May to November. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Thomasia discolor was first formally described in 1821 by Jaques Étienne Gay in the journal Mémoires du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, from specimens collected at Geographe Bay in 1801. [4] [5] The specific epithet (foliosa) means "leafy". [6]

Distribution and habitat

This thomasia grows in gravelly or granitic soil in shrubby understorey between Mogumber and Stokes Inlet in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren bioregions of south-western Western Australia. [2] [3]

Conservation status

Thomasia foliosa is listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Thomasia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Thomasia is a genus of thirty-one species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. Plants in this genus are small shrubs that are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia, apart from T. petalocalyx that is native to Victoria and South Australia. The leaves are simple with leaf-like stipules at the base of the petiole, the flowers bisexual with five papery, petal-like sepals, usually five petals and five stamens opposite the petals. The fruit is a capsule covered with star-like hairs.

<i>Thomasia quercifolia</i> Species of shrub

Thomasia quercifolia, commonly known as oak leaved thomasia, is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has egg-shaped, lobed leaves with a heart-shaped base, and pink to mauve flowers.

<i>Androcalva fraseri</i> Species of tree

Androcalva fraseri, commonly known as blackfellow's hemp or brush kurrajong, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small tree or shrub that forms suckers and has egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves with serrated edges, and clusters of 13 to 21 white flowers.

<i>Guichenotia ledifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Guichenotia ledifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a densely-branched shrub with densely hairy new growth, hairy, linear to oblong leaves and pink to mauve flowers arranged in groups of three to ten.

<i>Thomasia solanacea</i> Species of shrub

Thomasia solanacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with egg-shaped leaves, the bases heart-shaped, and racemes of white, cream-coloured or pink to purple flowers.

<i>Seringia hermanniifolia</i> Species of shrub

Seringia hermanniifolia, commonly known as crinkle-leaved firebush, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low-growing or prostrate, suckering shrub with hairy new growth, hairy, wavy, oblong to egg-shaped leaves and mauve to bluish flowers arranged in groups of 3 to 8.

<i>Thomasia angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Thomasia angustifolia, commonly known as narrow-leaved thomasia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has densely hairy young stems, narrowly oblong, wrinkled leaves and pinkish-purple, bell-shaped flowers.

<i>Thomasia petalocalyx</i> Species of flowering plant

Thomasia petalocalyx, commonly known as paper flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is a shrub with wrinkled, oblong to egg-shaped leaves and cup-shaped mauve flowers.

<i>Thomasia triphylla</i> Species of shrub

Thomasia triphylla is a small shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The flowers are pinkish-purple, bell-shaped and hang in pendents from the leaf axils.

Thomasia dielsii is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, erect to spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves with wavy edges, and purple, violet and blue flowers.

Thomasia discolor is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, compact shrub with hairy new growth, heart-shaped leaves with wavy, lobed edges, and pink flowers in crowded clusters.

Thomasia × formosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact shrub with densely hairy branchlets, hairy, coarsely serrated, egg-shaped to elliptic or oblong leaves, and racemes of pink or purple flowers arranged in leaf axils.

Thomasia glabripetala is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open shrub with densely hairy branchlets, sparsely hairy, wrinkled, elliptic or oblong leaves, and racemes of purplish-pink flowers arranged in leaf axils.

Commersonia grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with hairy, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, and white or cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Commersonia erythrogyna</i> Species of flowering plant

Commersonia erythrogyna, commonly known as Trigwell's rulingia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of the south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, straggly shrub with oblong to egg-shaped leaves and creamy-white flowers.

Androcalva argentea is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a tall shrub that forms suckers from rhizomes and has silvery branchlets and leaves, the leaves egg-shaped with wavy edges and serrated, and dense clusters of 10 to 30 white to cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Androcalva gaudichaudii</i> Species of tree

Androcalva gaudichaudii is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the far west of Western Australia. It is a low, dense shrub that forms suckers and has broadly oval leaves with a heart-shaped base, and clusters of 2 to 11 white flowers.

Androcalva inglewoodensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Queensland. It is a spreading, prostrate shrub that has hairy young branchlets, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves with irregularly serrated edges, and small groups of white to cream-coloured flowers.

Seringia adenolasia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is a sticky, aromatic densely hairy shrub with egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves sometimes with toothed edges, and creamy-pink or purple flowers, usually in groups of up to 5.

<i>Seringia collina</i> Species of flowering plant

Seringia collina is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a low growing, small rounded shrub with hairy branches, oblong to egg-shaped leaves and usually purple flowers in groups of 3 to 6.

References

  1. "Thomasia discolor". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 Blake, Trevor L. (2021). Lantern bushes of Australia; Thomasias & allied genera : a field and horticultural guide. Victoria: Australian Plants Society, Keilor Plains Group. pp. 22–23. ISBN   9780646839301.
  3. 1 2 3 "Thomasia foliosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. "Thomasia foliosa". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  5. Gay, Jaques E. (1821). "Monographie des Cinq Genres de Plantes, Lasiopetalees". Mémoires du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle. 7: 454–456. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  6. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 201. ISBN   9780958034180.