Thomasia grandiflora

{{Short description|Species of plant}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Thomasia grandiflora 1187.jpg

|genus = Thomasia

|species = grandiflora

|authority = Lindl.{{cite web |title=Thomasia grandiflora |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/65456 |website=Australian Plant Census |accessdate=15 September 2019}}

| synonyms =

|}}

Thomasia grandiflora, commonly known as large-flowered thomasia,{{cite book |last1=Greig |first1=Denise |title=Field Guide to Australian Wildflowers |date=1999 |publisher=Avery Chase-New Holland |isbn=1-86436-334-7}} is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The flowers are pinkish-purple with a papery appearance hanging in pendents from the leaf axils. The calyx lobes are prominent and larger than the petals.

Description

Thomasia grandiflora is a small shrub that grows to about {{cvt|1|m}} high and wide. The dark, bright green leaves vary in shape, usually heart-shaped or occasionally narrowly elliptic, slightly flexible, leathery and {{cvt|15-25|mm}} long. The flowers have wide, conspicuous, pinkish-purple calyx lobes that are more prominent than the petals. The calyx is thicker near the mid-vein. The small petals are densely covered with star-shaped hairs, occasionally with only a few scattered hairs. The flowers have a papery texture and about {{cvt|2|cm}} across on short pendant stalks. The flowers are followed by capsules containing black seeds that are shed from the plant when ripe. Flowering occurs from winter to spring.{{FloraBase|name=Thomasia grandiflora|id=5084}}{{cite journal |last1=Shepherd |first1=Kelly A. |title=Thomasia grandiflora |journal=Nuytsia |date=2019 |issue=30 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335028058 |accessdate=15 September 2019}}

Taxonomy and naming

Thomasia grandiflora was first formally described by botanist John Lindley in 1839 who published the description in A sketch of the vegetation of the Swan River Colony in 1839.{{cite web |url=http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?TAXON_NAME=THOMASIA+GRANDIFLORA|title=Thomasia grandifolia |accessdate=2009-02-27 |work= Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database|publisher = Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra}}{{cite web |last1=Lyndley |first1=John |title=A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony |url=https://archive.org/details/sketchvegetatio00goog/page/n26 |accessdate=15 September 2019}} The specific epithet (grandiflora) is from the Latin grandis meaning "large" or "great"{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Roland W. |title=The Composition of Scientific Words |date=1956 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press |location=Washington D.C}}{{rp|378}} and flos meaning "flower"{{rp|338}} referring to the large flowers of the species.{{cite book |last1=Harris |first1=Thistle Y. |title=Gardening with Australian Plants |date=1979 |publisher=Thomas Nelson Australia |location=Melbourne, Victoria |isbn=0-17-005120-X}}

Distribution and habitat

Large-flowered thomasia is a widespread species, mostly found in near-coastal locations growing in open forest in the south-west of Western Australia.

References