Habit of subsp. myoporoidesSubspecies acuta in the ANBGSubspecies brevipedunculata in the ANBG
Philotheca myoporoides, commonly known as long-leaf wax flower,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with sessile, oblong to egg-shaped, glandular-warty leaves and white to pink flowers arranged singly in leaf axils. Prior to 1998 it was known as Eriostemon myoporoides.
Description
Philotheca myoporoides is a species of shrub that typically grows to a height of 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The leaves are sessile, oblong to broadly egg-shaped, glandular-warty, papery to leathery, 15–110 mm (0.59–4.33 in) long and 4–20 mm (0.16–0.79 in) wide with a prominent midrib. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to eight, in leaf axils on a peduncle up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 1–10 mm (0.039–0.394 in) long. The sepals are broadly triangular, about 1 mm (0.039 in) long and 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) wide and the petals are white to pink, about 8 mm (0.31 in) long with a prominent keel. Flowering mainly occurs in spring and autumn and the fruit is about 7 mm (0.28 in) long with a beak about 3 mm (0.12 in) long.[2][3][4]
Subspecies acuta grows on rocky sandstone hills from Lockhart to near Cobar.[15][16] Subspecies brevipedunculata is found coastal areas to mountain summits between Sassafras and Moruya in south-eastern New South Wales.[17][18][19] Subspecies euroensis grows among granite boulders on the Strathbogie Ranges near Euroa in north-eastern Victoria.[20][21] Subspecies myoporoides grows in forest and heathland, usually near watercourses, mostly along the Great Dividing Range from the northern border of New South Wales to near Healesville in Victoria.[22][23][24] Subspecies petraea is only known from rocky areas on Mount Stewart, west of Gelantipy in north-eastern Victoria.[9][25]
The species is well adapted to cultivation, and plants are commercially available at nurseries in Australia.[27]
The species prefers a well-drained position in light shade. Established plants tolerate both dry periods and moderate frost. Plants may be propagated from semi-mature cuttings, though some forms are slow to take root.[28]
^Wilson, Paul G. (2013). Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 392. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^Wilson, Paul G. (2013). Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 392. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^Wilson, Paul G. (2013). Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. p. 393. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^Wilson, Paul G. (2013). Wilson, Annette J.G. (ed.). Flora of Australia (Volume 26). Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study. pp. 391–392. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
