Pimelea cracens is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and creamy green to pale yellow flowers surrounded by 6 or 8 yellowish or pale green and reddish involucral bracts.
| Pimelea cracens | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Thymelaeaceae |
| Genus: | Pimelea |
| Species: | P. cracens
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pimelea cracens | |
Description
editPimelea cracens is an erect, spindly shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.4–1.5 m (1 ft 4 in – 4 ft 11 in) and is usually single-stemmed at ground level. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, narrowly elliptic to more or less egg-shaped, 6–22 mm (0.24–0.87 in) long and 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) wide on a petiole 0.3–1.3 mm (0.012–0.051 in) long. The flowers are pendulous and creamy green to pale yellow, surrounded by 3 or 4 pairs of yellowish or pale green and reddish involucral bracts 12–28 mm (0.47–1.10 in) long and 6–14 mm (0.24–0.55 in) wide, on a peduncle 1–4 mm (0.039–0.157 in) long. Each flower is on a pedicel about 1 mm (0.039 in) long, the flower tube 7.5–12 mm (0.30–0.47 in) long. The style extends beyond the flower tube by 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in). Flowering mainly occurs from July to November.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editPimelea ciliata was first formally described in 1988 by Barbara Lynette Rye and the description was published in the journal Nuytsia.[3][4] The specific epithet (cracens) means "graceful" or "slender".[3]
In the same edition of Nuytsia, Rye described two subspecies of P. cracens, and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
Distribution and habitat
editThis pimelea grows on undulating plains, winter wet areas and roadsides between the Donnelly River, Israelite Bay and Kumarl in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ "Pimelea cracens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Pimelea cracens". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ a b c d e f Rye, Barbara L. (1988). "A revision of Western Australian Thymelaeaceae". Nuytsia. 6 (2): 209–212. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "Pimelea cracens". APNI. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
- ^ "Pimelea cracens subsp. cracens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "Pimelea cracens subsp. glabra". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 16 October 2022.