''Phymatocarpus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

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 the

south-west The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

. All three species are shrubs with pink to purple flowers.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Phymatocarpus'' are shrubs which grow to a height of . Their leaves are small and are dotted with oil glands. The flowers are arranged in almost spherical heads on the ends of the branches and have 5 oval

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, 5

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 up to 75

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. The stamens are in a ring around the

hypanthium In angiosperms, a hypanthium or floral cup is a structure where basal portions of the calyx, the corolla, and the stamens form a cup-shaped tube. It is sometimes called a floral tube, a term that is also used for corolla tube and calyx tube. It ...

, but above the ring are joined in 5 bundles. The stamens are all longer than the petals and give the flowers their pink to purple colour. The fruit is a woody capsule.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus was first described in 1862 by the Victorian government botanist,

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...

in '' Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae''. The first species he described was '' Phymatocarpus porphyrocephalus''. The name ''Phymatocarpus'' is derived from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

''phymatos'' (plural of ''phyma'') meaning "tubercle" or "swelling" and ''καρπός (karpós)'' meaning "fruit" in reference to the fruiting capsules being lumpy. The three species are:Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> * '' Phymatocarpus interioris'' Craven * '' Phymatocarpus maxwellii'' F.Muell. * '' Phymatocarpus porphyrocephalus'' F.Muell.

Distribution and habitat

All three species of ''Phymatocarpus'' occur in sandy soils in the

of Western Australia.

Conservation

All species of ''Phymatocarpus'' are classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=March 2018 Myrtales of Australia Rosids of Western Australia Myrtaceae genera Endemic flora of Southwest Australia