Pimelea suaveolens

Pimelea suaveolens
P. suaveolens subsp suaveolens near Albany, Western Australia.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Thymelaeaceae
Genus: Pimelea
Species: P. suaveolens
Binomial name
Pimelea suaveolens
Meisn.[1]

Pimelea suaveolens, commonly known as the Scented banjine or Silky–yellow banjine is a slender shrub with large, rather hairy yellow inflorescences. It ranges in forest areas of south–west Western Australia from New Norcia to Albany.

Description

Scented banjine grows as an erect, spindly, often multi-stemmed shrub 0.25-1.2 metres (1–4 ft) high. The stems and leaves are glabrous, the leaves opposite, sword–shaped and 1–3 cm long. The inflorescences consist of many flowers surrounded by hairy, petal-like bracts in 4–7 pairs. The inflorescence appear from June to October, are 3–4 cm across, pale to deep yellow and hang from the branches.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

P. suaveolens was first described by Carl Meissner in Plantae Preissianae, Volume 1 pages 603–604[5] from a specimen collected by James Drummond at Greenmount in 1839.[1] The specific epithet (suaveolens) is derived from a Latin word meaning sweet–smelling or fragrant.[6]

There are two subspecies–

Distribution and habitat

This species grows on sand, sandy clay, gravel and laterite on undulating plains, flats, ridges and roadsides.[4] It occurs in the Coolgardie, Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain, Jarrah Forest and Warren biogeographical regions of Western Australia.[9]

Conservation status

P. suaveolens is classified as a not threatened. [4]

Cultivation

This species is not difficult to propagate from cuttings but is difficult to maintain in cultivation. "Good drainage and partial shade are important."[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Pimelea suaveolens Meisn.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wrigley, John W; Fagg, Murray (2013). Australian native plants (6th ed. ed.). Chatswood, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland. p. 284. ISBN 9781921517150.
  3. ↑ Erickson, Rica (1982). Flowers and plants of Western Australia (Reprinted 1983 ed.). Sydney: Reed. p. 39. ISBN 058950116X.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Pimelea suaveolens Rchb.f.". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
  5. ↑ "Plantae Preissianae sive Enumeratio plantarum quas in Australasia". Biodiversity heritage library. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "suaveolens". Wiktionary.
  7. ↑ "Pimelea suaveolens subsp. flava". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  8. ↑ "Pimelea suaveolens Meisn. subsp. suaveolens". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  9. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 560. ISBN 0646402439.