Philotheca nodiflora

Philotheca nodiflora is a weak shrub that grows to a height of {{cvt|10–80|cm}}. The leaves are more or less cylindrical, {{cvt|5–15|mm}} long, concave on the upper surface and rounded below. The flowers are borne compact heads {{cvt|10–30|mm}} in diameter on hairy pedicels {{cvt|1–4|mm}} long. The flowers have five linear to triangular sepals about {{cvt|2–5|mm}} long and five blue to pink, elliptic to egg-shaped petals {{cvt|5–9|mm}} long. The ten stamens are {{cvt|4–5|mm}} long and hairy.{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |last2=Wilson |first2=Annette J.G. (ed.) |title=Flora of Australia (Volume 26) |date=2013 |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study |location=Canberra |pages=412–413 |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Philotheca%20nodiflora|accessdate=8 August 2020}}{{FloraBase|name=Philotheca nodiflora|id=18530}}

This species was first formally described in 1939 by John Lindley who gave it the name Eriostemon nodiflorus and published the description in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony.{{cite web|title=Eriostemon nodiflorus|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/499510 |publisher=APNI|accessdate=8 August 2020}}{{cite book |last1=Lindley |first1=John |title=A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony |date=1839 |publisher=James Ridgway |location=London |page=xvii |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106366024&view=1up&seq=25 |accessdate=8 August 2020}} In 1998 Paul G. Wilson changed the name to Philotheca nodiflora in the journal Nuytsia and described four subspecies:{{cite web|title=Philotheca nodiflora|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/557443|publisher=APNI|accessdate=8 August 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |title=A Taxonomic Review of the genera Eriostemon and Philotheca |journal=Nuytsia |date=1998 |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=263–264|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/226456#page/109/mode/1up |accessdate=8 August 2020}}

• Philotheca nodiflora subsp. calycina (Turcz.) Paul G.Wilson{{cite web|title=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. calycina|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162054|publisher=Australian Plant Census|accessdate=8 August 2020}} has flower heads {{cvt|20–30|mm}} in diameter;
• Philotheca nodiflora subsp. lasiocalyx (Domin) Paul G.Wilson{{cite web|title=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. lasiocalyx|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162055|publisher=Australian Plant Census|accessdate=8 August 2020}} has flower heads {{cvt|20–30|mm}} in diameter and glabrous sepals;
• Philotheca nodiflora subsp. lateriticola Paul G.Wilson{{cite web|title=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. lateriticola|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162056|publisher=Australian Plant Census|accessdate=8 August 2020}} (originally named as subsp. latericola) has flower heads {{cvt|20–30|mm}} in diameter, sepals and the back of the petals covered with long, soft hairs;
• Philotheca nodiflora (Lindl.) Paul G.Wilson subsp. nodiflora{{cite web|title=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. nodiflora|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162057|publisher=Australian Plant Census|accessdate=8 August 2020}} has flower heads {{cvt|20–30|mm}} in diameter, sepals covered with long, soft hairs, and glabrous petals.

Philotheca nodiflora subsp. calycina grows in gravelly soil near Wooroloo and Wagin.{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |last2=Wilson |first2=Annette J.G. (ed.) |title=Flora of Australia (Volume 26) |date=2013 |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study |location=Canberra |page=414 |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Philotheca%20nodiflora%20subsp.%20calycina|accessdate=8 August 2020}}{{FloraBase|name=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. calycina|id=18531}} Subspecies lasiocalyx grows in heath on sandy loam between Busselton, Collie and the western end of the Cape Arid National Park.{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |last2=Wilson |first2=Annette J.G. (ed.) |title=Flora of Australia (Volume 26) |date=2013 |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study |location=Canberra |page=414 |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Philotheca%20nodiflora%20subsp.%20lasiocalyx|accessdate=8 August 2020}}{{FloraBase|name=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. lasiocalyx|id=18532}}

Subspecies lateriticola grows on laterite and ironstone on the Darling Range between York and Bannister.{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |last2=Wilson |first2=Annette J.G. (ed.) |title=Flora of Australia (Volume 26) |date=2013 |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study |location=Canberra |page=414 |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Philotheca%20nodiflora%20subsp.%20latericola|accessdate=8 August 2020}}{{FloraBase|name=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. latericola|id=18533}}

Subspecies nodiflora grows along creeks and in winter-wet swamps between Chittering and Bindoon on the Darling Range.{{cite book |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |last2=Wilson |first2=Annette J.G. (ed.) |title=Flora of Australia (Volume 26) |date=2013 |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study |location=Canberra |page=414 |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Philotheca%20nodiflora%20subsp.%20nodiflora|accessdate=8 August 2020}}{{FloraBase|name=Philotheca nodiflora subsp. nodiflora|id=18534}}

This species and each of the four subspecies are classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.

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nodiflora

Category:Flora of Western Australia

Category:Sapindales of Australia

Category:Plants described in 1839

Category:Taxa named by John Lindley