Common name: Hairy Pink-bells, Pink-eyed Susan
Tetratheca pilosa Labill. APNI* Synonyms: Tetratheca pilosa subsp. latifolia Joy Thomps. APNI*
Description: Erect or spreading shrub with branches up to 60 cm high, arising from stout root stock; branches alternate, opposite or with several branches arising together; stems terete or with longitudinal ridges, giving a quadrangular appearance, often with scattered minute, erect to retrorse hairs and with tubercle-based setae, sometimes with short glandular hairs.
Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, linear to broad-elliptic, 2–5 mm long, 1–5 mm wide, margins closely revolute to flat.
Flowers 4-merous, usually single in upper axils (rarely 2); peduncles lengthening as the flower matures, 4–9 mm long, glabrous with gland-tipped hairs or with minute erect hairs. sepals with few or many glandular hairs, broad to narrow-ovate, obtuse, acute or acuminate, 1–2.5 mm long, deciduous; petals broad to narrow-obovate, oblong, ovate or elliptic, 3–12 mm long, dark- or pale-pink or white, ocassionaly differing on one plant; stamens 8, filaments 0.25–0.75 mm long, anther-body 1–2.5 mm long, flattened at base, stongly curved and tapering to the anther tube; anther tube 0.25 to .1 mm long, orifice narrow or broad; ovary with scattered glandular hairs and usually some short stiff hairs, sometimes bearing long hollow hairs; style slender, usually glabrous, 1–3 mm long; ovules 2.
Fruit obovate to cuneate or cordate, 3–4.5 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, often beaked; seeds almost oblong,c. 2.5 mm long.
Flowering: Flowers: predominantly June to September.
Distribution and occurrence: Widely distributed from southern NSW, throughout Victoria to northern Tasmania, and southern South Australia. Grows in heath and sclerophyll forest.
NSW subdivisions: SC, NWP
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by C. Gardner & L. Murray; updated L. Murray (2013)
Taxon concept: McPherson, H. & Murray,L. (2011) Elaeocarpaceae (version 1). In Kellerman, J. (ed.), Flora of South Australia, State Herbarium of South Australia: Adelaide. www.flora.sa.gov.au/ed5
| In 1976 Joy Thompson described two subspecies Tetratheca pilosa subsp. pilosa and T. pilosa subsp. latifolia, but she indicated that further study of the variation within the species was needed since they are closely related and subspecific boundaries were not clear. She stated that on the mainland the subspecies were distinct and much more uniform than in Tasmania. Recent morphological (Downing 2005) and molecular (McPherson 2006) studies have confirmed that the subspecific ranking is artificial. |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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