Pimelea biflora
{{Short description|Species of shrub}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Matted rice-flower
| image = Pimelea biflora.jpg
| genus = Pimelea
| species = biflora
| authority = N.A.Wakef.{{cite web |title=Pimelea biflora |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/66969 |website=Australian Plant Census |access-date=19 July 2022}}
}}
Pimelea biflora, commonly known as matted rice-flower,{{cite web |last1=Harden |first1=G.T |title=Pimelea biflora |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Pimelea~biflora |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney |accessdate=19 July 2022}} is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a prostrate, mat-forming shrub with elliptic leaves and dark red flowers always arranged in pairs on the ends of branches.
Description
Pimelea biflora is a prostrate, mat-forming shrub and has hairy young stems. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs and are narrowly elliptic or elliptic, {{cvt|2–10|mm}} long, {{cvt|1–5|mm}} wide on a short petiole. The upper surface of the leaves is glabrous, the lower surface with short hairs pressed against the surface. The flowers are arranged in pairs on peduncles about {{cvt|1|mm}} long on the ends of branches, with two elliptic bracts {{cvt|6–9|mm}} long at the base. The flowers are dark red, but paler near the base. Flowering occurs from November to January and the fruit is green and about {{cvt|4|mm}} long.{{cite web |title=Pimelea biflora |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/6eeabd6d-568c-4ccd-b103-74ce8dc8019d |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |access-date=19 July 2022}}{{cite web |title=Pimelea biflora |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Pimelea%20biflora |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra |access-date=19 July 2022}}
Taxonomy
Pimelea biflora was first formally described in 1957 by Norman Arthur Wakefield and the description was published in The Victorian Naturalist.{{cite web |title=Pimelea biflora |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/instance/apni/475075 |website=Australian Plant Name Index |accessdate=8 February 2020}}{{cite journal |last1=Wakefield |first1=Norman A. |title=Flora of Victoria: new species and other additions - 13. |journal=The Victorian Naturalist |date=1957 |volume=73 |issue=12 |pages=212–213 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/127327#page/214/mode/1up |access-date=19 July 2022}} The specific epithet (biflora) means "two-flowered".{{cite book |last1=Sharr |first1=Francis Aubi |last2=George |first2=Alex |title=Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings |date=2019 |publisher=Four Gables Press |location=Kardinya, WA |isbn=9780958034180 |edition=3rd|page=146}}
Distribution
Matted rice-flower grows in alpine and subalpine forest, heath, woodland and grassland south from Mount Gingera in the Australian Capital Territory, through southern New South Wales, to north-eastern Victoria.