Curved rice-flower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curved rice-flower |
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| Pimelea curviflora on Black Mountain | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pimelea
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| Species: |
curviflora
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Pimelea curviflora, also known as curved rice-flower is a shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, hairy shrub with greenish-yellow or red tubular flowers.
Description
Pimelea curviflora is a small understory woody shrub 20–150 cm (7.9–59.1 in) high with soft hairy stems. The yellowish-green leaves are elliptic, lance or egg-shaped 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long, 2–8 mm (0.079–0.315 in) wide and hairy on both sides. The leaves are arranged opposite or alternate on a short petiole, 2–25 mm (0.079–0.984 in) long, 1–6 mm (0.039–0.236 in) wide ending in a pointed tip. The upper leaf hairs are spreading or flattened then becoming silky, short and somewhat less twisted, upper leaf surface smooth or with shorter hairs. The leaves may be uniformly coloured or vary on the upperside or underneath. The 6-20 compact, green-yellow or sometimes reddish, female or bi-sexual flowers are a floral tube 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long and flaring at the tips, usually hairy and appear in heads at the end of branches or in leaf axils. The flower bracts may be absent or not conspicuous, the style 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long, sometimes shorter in female flowers and the pedicels hairy. The dry, green fruit are 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long. Flowering occurs from late spring to early summer.
Taxonomy and naming
Pimelea curviflora was first formally described in 1810 Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805. The specific epithet (curviflora) is derived from the Latin curvi- meaning "curved" and -florus meaning "-flowered".
Distribution and habitat
Curved rice-flower is a variable widespread species found growing in New South Wales, south-eastern South Australia, south-eastern Queensland on or near the Great Dividing Range and coastal areas from Brisbane to Adelaide. It grows in forests, grassland and woodlands amongst acacia, eucalypt, callitris, usually on clay and shale soils. Also in rainforest amongst vine thickets. A common, widespread species in Victoria including montane woodland also found in Tasmania.
