Philotheca eremicola
Philotheca eremicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a small shrub similar to Philotheca coateana but has smaller leaves and different sepals. DescriptionPhilotheca eremicola is a shrub that grows to a height of about 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and has glabrous branchlets. The leaves are crowded near the ends of the branchlets, about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long, glossy green and glandular-warty. The flowers are borne singly on the ends of the branchlets on slender pedicels about 4 mm (0.16 in) long. There are five egg-shaped to narrow triangular sepals about 3 mm (0.12 in) long with prominent brown glands and five elliptical, white petals with a pink midline and 7โ9 mm (0.28โ0.35 in) long. The ten stamens are free from each other and hairy.[2][3][4][5] Taxonomy and namingPhilotheca eremicola was first formally described in 1998 by Paul Wilson in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by D.J. Pearson near the Tjirrkarli Community in the Gibson Desert.[4][6] DistributionThis species of philotheca is only known from the type location in the Gibson Desert.[3][5] Conservation statusThis species is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,[5] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.[7] References
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