Ptilotus polystachyus
| Ptilotus polystachyus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Ptilotus |
| Species: | P. polystachyus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ptilotus polystachyus | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
|
Ptilotus alopecuroideus (Lindl.) F.Muell. | |
Ptilotus polystachyus (common name - Prince of Wales feather) is a perennial herb in the Amaranthaceae family.[1]
Description[edit]
P. polystachyus grows to 1-1.5m tall.[4][5][6] Stems are ribbed with short crisped or verticillate hairs near the base,[4][5] and can be simple or paniculately branching,[4] in clumps up to 2m in diameter.[6] Leaves are alternate, cauline, linear to lanceolate, with margins undulate, 10-210 mm long and 1.5-36 mm wide.[4][5][6][7]
Inflorescences are terminal, cylindrical, greenish-brown, 20-210 mm long and can contain more than 150 flowers.[4][6] Bracts are narrow- to broad-ovate, with sparse verticillate hairs, glabrescent, and 3.1-7.1 mm long. Bracteoles are broad-ovate, translucent, glabrous or sparsely hairy, and 3-5.6 mm long.[5] Flowers are borne on 0.2-1.3 mm long peduncles, with perianth segments linear-spathulate, acute, and 12-16 mm long. Flowers have 3 or 4 stamens and 1 or 2 staminodes and deep-red at the base. Ovary is subsessile and glabrous.[4][5][6]
Distribution[edit]
Ptilotus polystachyus is endemic to Australia and found in all mainland states and the Northern Territory.[4][5][8] It occurs more frequently in the drier inland parts of the continent,[4] and is thought to be opportunistic in disturbed areas such as road edges.[5]
Taxonomy[edit]
It was first described in 1829 by Charles Gaudichaud-Beaupré as Trichinium polystachyum,[1][8] but was redescribed in 1868 by Ferdinand von Mueller as belonging to the genus Ptilotus.[1][2] In 2010 P. polystachyus sensu lato was divided into two genera, with P. polystachyus var. polystachyus and var. arthrotrichus remaining as P. polystachyus and var. longistachyus and var. pullenii erected as the new species Polystachyus giganteus.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Ptilotus polystachyus". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
- ^ a b Mueller, F.J.H. von (1868). "Amarantaceae". Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. 6 (49): 230.
- ^ "Ptilotus polystachyus (Gaudich.) F.Muell".
- ^ a b c d e f g h "PlantNET - FloraOnline: Ptilotus polystachyus ". plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h David, Robert W.; Butcher, Ryonen (2010). "Re-evaluation of Ptilotus polystachyus sens. lat. (Amaranthaceae) and creation of the new combination Ptilotus giganteus". Nuytsia. 20: 217–227.
- ^ a b c d e "Fact sheet for Ptilotus polystachyus". Electronic Flora of South Australia. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ Falster, D., Gallagher, R. et al. (2021). "AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora". Scientific Data. 8: 254. doi:10.1038/s41597-021-01006-6. Retrieved 2021-01-16
- ^ a b Gaudichaud-Beaupre, C. (1829), Voyage Autour du Monde ... sur les Corvettes de S.M. l'Uranie et la Physicienne. Botanique 11: 445