''Phebalium'' is a genus of thirty species of shrubs or small trees in the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Derm ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Australia. The leaves are arranged alternately, simple and often warty, the flowers arranged singly or in

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s on the ends of branchlets or in leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s, usually with five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s, five

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s and ten

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s. There are about thirty species and they are found in all Australian states but not in the Northern Territory.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Phebalium'' are shrubs or small trees that are often more or less covered with scales or shield-shaped or star-shaped hairs, at least when young. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems, and are simple, sometimes with toothed edges. The flowers are

bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

and have five sepals, five petals and ten stamens. The sepals are fused at the base, usually with five lobes, and the stamens are free from each other. There are five

carpels Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

with the styles fused and the stigma is similar to the rest of the style. The fruit is a follicle and the seeds are released explosively.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Phebalium'' was first formally described in 1805 by

Étienne Pierre Ventenat Étienne Pierre Ventenat (1 March 1757 – 13 August 1808) was a French botanist born in Limoges. He was the brother of naturalist Louis Ventenat (1765–1794). While employed as director of the ecclesiastic library Sainte-Geneviève in Paris, V ...

in his book ''Jardin de la Malmaison''. The first species described was ''

Phebalium squamulosum ''Phebalium squamulosum '', commonly known as scaly phebalium or forest phebalium, is a species of shrub or slender tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth branches covered with rust-coloured scales, linear to elliptical or egg- ...

''.

Species list

The following is a list of species and subspecies recognised by the

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Syst ...

as at June 2020: *''

Phebalium appressum ''Phebalium appressum'' is a species of shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is more or less covered with silvery scales and has egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves pressed against the stems, and flowers with rust-coloure ...

'' Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *''

Phebalium bifidum ''Phebalium bifidum'' is a species of small, erect shrub that is endemic to the Capertee Valley in New South Wales. It is more or less covered with glossy scales and has bilobed leaves and cream-coloured to bright yellow flowers arranged in umbel ...

'' P.H.Weston & M.Turton (N.S.W.) *''

Phebalium brachycalyx ''Phebalium brachycalyx'' is a species of shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is more or less covered with silvery and rust-coloured scales, and has narrow oblong leaves with wavy-glandular edges, and white to pale ye ...

'' Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *''

Phebalium brevifolium ''Phebalium brevifolium'' is a species of small shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has warty branchlets, sessile, wedge-shaped leaves and up to three white flowers arranged in umbels. Description ''Phebalium brevifolium'' is a shrub ...

'' Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *''

Phebalium bullatum ''Phebalium bullatum'', commonly known as silvery phebalium, desert phebalium or sand phebalium, is a species of shrub that is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is more or less covered with silvery scales and has narrow oblong to nar ...

'' J.M.Black — silvery phebalium or desert phebalium (S.A., Vic.) *''

Phebalium canaliculatum ''Phebalium canaliculatum'' is a species of erect shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is more or less covered with silvery and rust-coloured scales and has thin, cylindrical leaves and dark pink to pale mauve flowers i ...

'' (F.Muell. & Tate) J.H.Willis (W.A.) *''

Phebalium clavatum ''Phebalium clavatum'' is a species of shrub that is endemic to Western Australia and is more or less covered with silvery scales. It has warty branchlets, more or less circular leaves with a large spherical gland and white flowers arranged sing ...

'' C.A.Gardner (W.A.) *'' Phebalium daviesii'' Hook.f. — St Helens wax flower (Tas.) *''

Phebalium distans ''Phebalium distans'', commonly known as the Mt. Berryman phebalium, is a species of small tree that is endemic to south-east Queensland. It is more or less covered with silvery to rust-coloured scales and has warty branchlets, linear leaves and ...

'' P.I.Forst. (Qld.) *''

Phebalium drummondii ''Phebalium drummondii'' is a species of small shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth branchlets covered with silvery scales, broadly elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with silvery scales on the lower side and bright yellow flowers ...

'' Benth. (W.A.) *'' Phebalium elegans'' Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *'' Phebalium festivum'' Paul G.Wilson (Vic.) *'' Phebalium filifolium'' Turcz. — slender phebalium (W.A.) *'' Phebalium glandulosum'' Hook. — glandular phebalium or desert phebalium **''Phebalium glandulosum'' subsp. ''angustifolium'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W.) **''Phebalium glandulosum'' subsp. ''eglandulosum'' (Blakely) Paul G.Wilson (Qld., N.S.W.) **''Phebalium glandulosum'' Hook. subsp. ''glandulosum'' (S.A., Qld., N.S.W.) **''Phebalium glandulosum'' subsp. ''macrocalyx'' R.L.Giles (Vic.) **''Phebalium glandulosum'' subsp. ''nitidum'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W.) **''Phebalium glandulosum'' subsp. ''riparium'' R.L.Giles (Vic.) *'' Phebalium laevigatum'' Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *'' Phebalium lepidotum'' (Turcz.) Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *'' Phebalium longifolium'' S.T.Blake (Qld.) *'' Phebalium lowanense'' J.H.Willis (S.A., Vic.) *'' Phebalium megaphyllum'' (Ewart) Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *'' Phebalium microphyllum'' Turcz. (W.A.) *'' Phebalium nottii'' (F.Muell.) Maiden & Betche — pink phebalium (Qld., N.S.W.) *'' Phebalium obcordatum'' Benth. — club-leaved phebalium (N.S.W.) *'' Phebalium obovatum'' (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson (W.A.) *'' Phebalium speciosum'' I.Telford (N.S.W.) *''

'' Vent. — forest phebalium, scaly phebalium **''Phebalium squamulosum'' subsp. ''alpinum'' (Benth.) Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W., Vic.) **''Phebalium squamulosum'' subsp. ''argenteum'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W., Vic.) **''Phebalium squamulosum'' subsp. ''coriaceum'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W.) **''Phebalium squamulosum'' subsp. ''gracile'' Paul G.Wilson (Qld., N.S.W.) **''Phebalium squamulosum'' subsp. ''lineare'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W.) **''Phebalium squamulosum'' subsp. ''ozothamnoides'' (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.) **''Phebalium squamulosum'' subsp. ''parvifolium'' Paul G.Wilson (N.S.W.) **''Phebalium squamulosum'' Vent. subsp. ''squamulosum'' R.L.Giles (S.A., Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) *'' Phebalium stenophyllum'' (Benth.) Maiden & Betche — narrow-leaved phebalium (S.A., N.S.W., Vic.) *'' Phebalium tuberculosum'' (F.Muell.) Benth. (W.A.) *'' Phebalium verrucosum'' (Paul G.Wilson) I.Telford & J.J.Bruhl (N.S.W.) *'' Phebalium whitei'' Paul G.Wilson (Qld.) *'' Phebalium woombye'' (F.M.Bailey) Domin (Qld., N.S.W.)

Distribution

Species of ''Phebalium'' occur in all Australian states, but not in the Northern Territory.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2707886 Zanthoxyloideae genera