Description: Annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs.
Leaves basal, tufted or cauline, alternate or in tufts, margins toothed or entire.
Flowers in terminal racemes, corymbs or panicles. Sepals 5, ± united into 2 lips. Corolla tubular, deeply 5-lobed, the lobes imbricate in bud; lower lobe much smaller and usually reflexed. Column elongate and bent, sensitive with a trigger-like action when touched. Stamens 2; anthers at the summit of the column, one on either side of the undivided stigma. Ovary inferior, incompletely 2-locular; placentas axile or free central; seeds usually numerous.
Fruit a capsule, 2-valved; seeds usually numerous.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 136 species, South-East Asia, New Zealand & Australia. Australia: 110 species, all States, widespread, except drier areas, but mainly SW W.A.
Text by L. C. Stanberg
Taxon concept:
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Stylidium armeria,
Stylidium paniculatum
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaves in a basal rosette or in a single tuft at or near ground level, sometimes at the apex of a short stem and at the base of the scapes | 2 |
| Leaves on elongated aerial stems | 7 |
| 2 | Leaves tufted | 3 |
| Leaves in a rosette
Back to 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Leaves linear, 5–25 cm long, usually 2–6 mm wide, the margins entire or finely toothed; scape usually 20–70 cm high | Stylidium graminifolium |
| Leaves very narrow-linear, 2–5 cm long, c. 1 mm wide, margins often incurved, and very finely toothed; scape usually less than 20 cm high
Back to 2 | Stylidium lineare |
| 4 | Rosettes basal | 5 |
| Rosette at the top of a short stem, often with scattered smaller leaves below
Back to 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Flowers sessile | Stylidium tenerum |
| Flowers pedicellate
Back to 4 | Stylidium brachyphyllum |
| 6 | Leaves more than 6 cm long | Stylidium productum |
| Leaves less than 3 cm long
Back to 4 | Stylidium debile |
| 7 | Leaves less than 15, thick and bract-like, usually scattered along stem, narrow-lanceolate and less than 4 mm long | Stylidium despectum |
| Leaves more than 15 and linear, either spirally arranged or in tufts
Back to 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Leaves spirally arranged, 1–4 cm long, c. 1 mm wide | Stylidium laricifolium |
| Leaves arranged in tufts, 2–20 cm long, 1–3 mm wide
Back to 7 | 9 |
| 9 | Leaves 2–3 cm long, crowded in dense tufts at the end of branches below the flowering stems | Stylidium eglandulosum |
| Leaves usually 8–20 cm long, scattered along the entire length of stem but crowded at intervals
Back to 8 | Stylidium productum |
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