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

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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 spectabilis</i> Species of shrub

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Lysiosepalum hexandrum is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is dense, erect shrub with its young branches covered with woolly, star-shaped hairs, and has linear or narrowly elliptic leaves and blue, purple or pink flowers usually in groups of five.

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 pauciflora, 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> Species of plant

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.