| Tiny Thomasia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Thomasia |
| Species: | T. pygmaea |
| Binomial name | |
| Thomasia pygmaea (Turcz.) Benth. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Asterochiton pygmaeus Turcz. |
|
Thomasia pygmaea (Tiny Thomasia) is a small shrub which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.
It grows to between 0.05 and 0.3 metres in height.[1] Flowers are produced between August and November in its native range.[1] These are pinkish-mauve and covered with small red dots.[2]
The species was first formally described by botanist Nicolai Stepanovitch Turczaninow in Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale des Naturalistes de Moscou in 1806.[3] He gave it the name Asterochiton pygmaeus .[3] George Bentham transferred the species to the genus Thomasia in 1863.[3]
Thomasia pygmaea is an attractive small shrub, useful for edging, container growing or in rockeries.[2] It requires a light soil with good drainage and tolerates some shade and light frost.[2]