''Thryptomene'' is a genus of flowering plants 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 to Australia. Plants in the genus ''Thryptomene'' are shrubs with small leaves arranged in opposite pairs and white or pink flowers. About forty-seven species of ''Thryptomene'', occurring in all Australian states and the Northern Territory, have been formally described.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Thryptomene'' are erect, slender shrubs typically growing to a height of with small leaves arranged in opposite pairs with oil glands especially visible on the lower surface. The flowers are usually arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils, and usually have five sepals, five white or pink petals and five, rarely ten or fifteen

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 fruit is a

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

usually containing a single seed.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Thryptomene'' was first formally described in 1838 by

Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher also known as Endlicher István László (24 June 1804, Bratislava (Pozsony) – 28 March 1849, Vienna) was an Austrian botanist, numismatist and Sinologist. He was a director of the Botanical Garden of Vienna. B ...

in ''Stirpium Australasicarum Herbarii Hugeliani Decades Tres'', published in the journal ''Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte'' and the first species described was '' Thryptomene australis''. The name ''Thryptomene'' means "made small".

Species list

The following is a list of ''Thrypomene'' species accepted by the Australian Plant Census as of April 2021:

Use in horticulture

'' Thryptomene saxicola'' has been cultivated for many years as a hardy garden plant and along with '' T. calycina'' is popular in the cut-flower trade.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3275821 Endemic flora of Australia Myrtaceae genera Myrtales of Australia Taxa named by Stephan Endlicher