Pimelea Curviflora

''Pimelea curviflora'', also known as curved rice-flower, is a shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small, hairy shrub with greenish-yellow or red tubular flowers.

Description

''Pimelea curviflora'' is a small understory woody shrub high with soft hairy stems. The yellowish-green leaves are elliptic, lance or egg-shaped long, wide and hairy on both sides. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs or alternately, on a short petiole and end in a pointed tip. The upper leaf hairs are spreading or flattened then becoming silky, short and somewhat less twisted, upper leaf surface smooth or with shorter hairs. The leaves may be uniformly coloured or vary on the upperside or underneath. The 6-20 compact, green-yellow or sometimes reddish, female or bi-sexual flowers have a floral tube long and flaring at the tips, usually hairy and arranged in heads at the end of branches or in leaf axils. The flower bracts may be absent or not conspicuous, the style long, sometimes shorter in female flowers and the pedicels hairy. The dry, green fruit are long. Flowering occurs from late spring to early summer.

Taxonomy and naming

''Pimelea curviflora'' was first formally described in 1810 Robert Brown and the description was published in '' Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae et insulae Van-Diemen, exhibens characteres plantarum quas annis 1802-1805''. The specific epithet (''curviflora'') is derived from the Latin ''curvi-'' meaning "curved" and ''-florus'' meaning "-flowered".

Varieties of ''P. curviflora'' have been described, and the following have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
*''Pimelea curviflora'' var. ''acuta'' Threlfall, a much-branched subshrub high with narrowly elliptic to elliptic leaves long and wide, and clusters of 5 to 14 greenish-yellow flowers long. Flowering occurs from November to February and the fruit is straight.
*''Pimelea curviflora'' R.Br. var. ''curviflora'', a much-branched shrub or subshrub high with narrowly elliptic to elliptic or lance-shaped leaves long and wide, and clusters of 4 to 12 red to yellow flowers long. Flowering occurs in most months with a peak from October to January, and the fruit is curved.
*''Pimelea curviflora'' var. ''divergens'' Threlfall, a tufted subshrub high with narrowly elliptic leaves long and wide, clusters of 7 to 22 greenish-yellow flowers long. Flowering main occurs from September to January and the fruit is straight.
*''Pimelea curviflora'' var. ''gracilis'' (R.Br.) Threlfall, a shrub high with narrowly elliptic to elliptic, or narrowly egg-shaped to egg-shaped leaves long and wide, clusters of 4 to 22 greenish-yellow flowers long. Flowering occurs from July to January and the fruit is straight, or occasionally curved.
*''Pimelea curviflora'' var. ''sericea'' Benth., a subshrub high with narrowly elliptic leaves long and wide, clusters of usually 5 to 20 greenish-yellow flowers long. Flowering occurs throughout the year with a peak from October to January, and the fruit is straight.
*''Pimelea curviflora'' var. ''subglabrata'' Threlfall, a subshrub high with linear to narrowly elliptic or lance-shaped leaves long and about wide, clusters of usually 6 to 16 greenish-yellow flowers long, and straight fruit.

Distribution and habitat

Curved rice-flower is a variable widespread species found growing in New South Wales, south-eastern South Australia, south-eastern Queensland on or near the Great Dividing Range and coastal areas from Brisbane to Adelaide. It grows in forests, grassland and woodlands amongst acacia, eucalypt, callitris, usually on clay and shale soils. Also in rainforest amongst vine thickets. A common, widespread species in Victoria including montane woodland also found in Tasmania.

Variety ''acuta'' grows in forest and woodland at altitudes between from near Mount Kosciuszko to the Budawang Range in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Variety ''curviflora'' is restricted to coastal areas around Sydney where it grows on sandstone. Variety ''divergens'' is widespread on the coast, ranges and western slopes from the Boyne River in Queensland to the Sydney region. Variety ''gracilis'' usually grows in forest, sometimes in rocky sites, and is widespread from the extreme south-east of Queensland, through eastern New South Wales and southern Victoria to south-eastern South Australia and northern Tasmania. Variety ''sericea'' grows in sandy soil in open forest from the extreme south-east of Queensland, in eastern New South Wales and Victoria, where it is widespread, to south-eastern South Australia and islands of the Furneaux Group in Tasmania. Variety ''subglabrata'' grows in scrub and pastures from the Goulburn River to Nowra in New South Wales.

Conservation status

''Pimelea curviflora'' var. ''curviflora'' is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' and the New South Wales Government '' Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016''. The main threats to the species include habitat loss and degradation, weed invasion and road and trail maintenance.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q17581861, from2=Q66119871, from3=Q27828709, from4=Q66119914, from5=Q61717388, from6=Q61717417, from7=Q66119996

curviflora
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of South Australia
Flora of Victoria (Australia)
Flora of Queensland
Flora of Tasmania
Malvales of Australia
Plants described in 1810