Trachymene oleracea
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Trachymene oleracea (7596925320).jpg
|image_caption =
|genus = Trachymene
|species = oleracea
|authority = (Domin) B.L.Burtt{{cite web |title=Trachymene oleracea |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/75571 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=21 March 2025}}
|synonyms =
}}
Trachymene oleracea is a flowering plant in the family Araliaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an upright herb with blue, pink or white flowers.
Description
Trachymene oleracea is an upright biennial or annual herb, {{cvt|0.15-1.5|m}} high, leaves wider and rounded at the tip, tapering to a point at the base, fine hairs and a petiole {{cvt|20-60|mm}} long. The flowers are an umbel consisting of 50-110 flowers, {{cvt|10-30|mm}} in diameter, pedicel {{cvt|1-12|mm}} long, petals mostly tinged blue to purple on undersurface, white or occasionally light blue on upper surface and {{cvt|1.4-1.7|mm}} long. Flowering occurs in March or May to October and the fruit is a warty monocarp.{{cite journal |last1=Rye |first1=B.L. |title=Trachymene oleracea |journal=Nuytsia |date=1999 |volume=13 |issue=1 |page=218 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53382099#page/224/mode/1up |access-date=23 March 2025}}
Taxonomy and naming
This species was described in 1928 by Karel Domin who gave it the name Didiscus oleraceus.{{cite web |title=Didiscus oleraceus |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/name/apni/103722/api/apni-format |publisher=Australian Plant Name Index |access-date=12 April 2025}} In 1941 B.L.Burtt changed the name to Trachymene oleracea and the description was published in Journal of Botany, British and Foreign .{{cite web |title= Trachymene oleracea |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/instance/apni/488689 |publisher=Australian Plant Name Index |access-date=12 April 2025}}
Distribution and habitat
This species of Trachymene grows in a variety of situations including stony and sandy soils, rocky hills, watercourses and dry lake beds in Western Australia.{{cite web |title=Trachymene oleracea |url=https://florabase.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/6278 |website=Florabase-the Flora of Western Australia |publisher=Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions |access-date=12 April 2025}}