Thomasia microphylla

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Thomasia microphylla
Thomasia microphylla.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. microphylla
Binomial name
Thomasia microphylla
Habit near Ravensthorpe Thomasia microphylla habit.jpg
Habit near Ravensthorpe

Thomasia microphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves and racemes of pale pink or mauve flowers.

Contents

Description

Thomasia microphylla is an erect, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 15–60 cm (5.9–23.6 in), its young stems covered with small scales surrounded by short hairs. Its leaves are egg-shaped, 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide on a petiole 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The flowers are arranged on the ends of branches in racemes of 2 to 4 on a peduncle 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long, each flower 12 mm (0.47 in) wide on a pedicel 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long. The sepals are pale pink or mauve, the petals minute. Flowering occurs from August to November. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Thomasia microphylla was first formally described in 1974 by Susan Paust in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Alex George near the Ravensthorpe Range in 1963. [2] [5] The specific epithet (microphylla) means "small-leaved". [6]

Distribution and habitat

This thomasia grows in sandy coastal heath, on laterite, loam or clay in the Esperance Plains and Mallee bioregions in the south of Western Australia. [3] [4]

Conservation status

Thomasia microphylla is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [4]

Related Research Articles

<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>Pimelea calcicola</i> Species of shrub

Pimelea calcicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to part of the west coast of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and head-like racemes of pale to deep pink, tube-shaped flowers surrounded by leaf-like involucral bracts.

<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.

Lasiopetalum cardiophyllum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves and groups of pinkish flowers.

Lasiopetalum compactum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with leathery, narrowly oblong leaves and cymes of white to pinkish flowers.

<i>Lasiopetalum glabratum</i> Species of shrub

Lasiopetalum glabratum is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy young stems, egg-shaped leaves and pale mauve-pink reddish-purple flowers.

Lasiopetalum lineare is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy young stems, linear leaves and bright pink and dark red flowers.

Lasiopetalum monticola is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, slender or straggling shrub with densely hairy branchlets, leaves and flowers, egg-shaped leaves and pink, cream-coloured or white flowers.

<i>Lasiopetalum rotundifolium</i> Species of shrub

Lasiopetalum rotundifolium is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect to spreading shrub with hairy young stems, round leaves with a heart-shaped base, and pink and dark red flowers.

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

Thomasia paniculata is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with heart-shaped to narrowly egg-shaped leaves and pinkish-mauve flowers.

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

Thomasia brachystachys is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the Southwest Australia south-west of Western Australia. It is an open, erect shrub with egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves and pink to mauve flowers.

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

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.

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 gardneri, commonly known as Mount Holland thomasia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and was endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia, but is now considered to be extinct. It was a low, erect shrub with scaly, narrowly egg-shaped leaves and racemes of pink flowers.

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.

<i>Thomasia macrocalyx</i> Species of grass

Thomasia macrocalyx 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 densely hairy new growth, egg-shaped leaves with a heart-shaped base and lobed or toothed edges, and groups of pale purple to mauve or white flowers.

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

Thomasia paniculata, commonly known as few-flowered thomasia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, erect or straggling shrub with egg-shaped leaves and pink to purple, occasionally white flowers.

<i>Thomasia rugosa</i>

Thomasia rugosa, commonly known as wrinkled leaf thomasia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has wrinkled, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves with wavy edges, and pink to mauve flowers.

Thomasia tremandroides is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or low, spreading shrub with many stems, flimsy, papery, egg-shaped leaves and racemes of papery, mauve to pink flowers.

Thomasia rulingioides is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with densely hairy new growth, narrowly oblong to narrowly egg-shaped leaves with wavy edges, and pink to purple flowers.

References

  1. "Thomasia microphylla". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 Paust, Susan (1974). "Taxonomic studies in Thomasia and Lasiopetalum (Sterculiaceae)". Nuytsia. 1 (4): 351–353. doi:10.58828/nuy00022. S2CID   90727026 . Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  3. 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. 36–37. ISBN   9780646839301.
  4. 1 2 3 "Thomasia microphylla". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  5. "Thomasia microphylla". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  6. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 252. ISBN   9780958034180.