''Philotheca falcata'', commonly known as the sickle-leaved waxflower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, densely branched shrub with narrow club-shaped leaves and single flowers on the ends of branchlets.

Description

''Philotheca falcata'' is a densely-branched shrub that grows to a height of with densely glandular-warty branchlets. The leaves are narrow club-shaped and curved, about long with warty glands. The flowers are borne singly on the ends of the branchlets, each flower on a pedicel about long. There are five triangular sepals about long and five elliptic white

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 about long. The ten hairy

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 are free from each other and the style is glabrous. Flowering has been recorded in October.

Taxonomy and naming

This philotheca was first formally described in 1970 by Paul Wilson who gave it the name ''Eriostemon falcatus'' and published the description in the journal '' Nuytsia'' from specimens collected by William Blackall near Yellowdine in 1931. In 1998, Wilson changed the name to ''Philotheca falcata'' in the same journal.

Distribution and habitat

The only known specimens of ''Philotheca falcata'' were growing in woodland near Southern Cross and near Holleton.

Conservation status

This species is classified as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' and as Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia). The main threat to the species is habitat alteration caused by land clearing.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18075498 falcata Flora of Western Australia Sapindales of Australia Plants described in 1970 Taxa named by Paul Graham Wilson