{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{automatic taxobox | name = ''Philotheca'' | image = Bee on Sydney wildflower.jpg | image_caption = ''Philotheca buxifolia'' | taxon = Philotheca | authority = Rudge<ref name=APC1>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca''|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/65490|publisher=Australian Plant Census|accessdate=4 May 2019}}</ref> | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = }} [[File:Philotheca coccinea.jpg|thumb|''Philotheca coccinea'']][[File:Philotheca conduplicata.jpg|thumb|''Philotheca conduplicata'']][[File:Philotheca myoporoides myoporoides.jpg|thumb|''Philotheca myoporoides'']][[File:Skipper Mesodina cyanophracta.jpg|thumb|''Philotheca nodiflora'']][[File:Philotheca scabra latifolia.jpg|thumb|''Philotheca scabra'']][[File: Philotheca spicata.jpg |thumb|225px|''Philotheca spicata'']]

'''''Philotheca''''' is a genus of about fifty species of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae. Plants in this genus are shrubs with simple leaves arranged alternately along the stems, flowers that usually have five sepals, five petals and ten stamens that curve inwards over the ovary. All species are endemic to Australia and there are species in every state, but not the Northern Territory.

==Description== Plants in the genus ''Philotheca'' are shrubs that are either glabrous or have tiny, simple hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stems, narrow oblong to almost cylindrical and sessile or on a very short petiole. From a single to many flowers are arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of the branchlets. The flowers have five sepals and five petals (except in ''P. virgata'' which has four). The sepals are free from each other and the petals usually overlap at their bases. There are ten stamens that curve inwards over the ovary with anthers that have an appendage called the "apiculum". The ovary contains five carpels fused near their bases. The seeds are {{cvt|2-5|mm}} long and are released explosively from their capsule.<ref name="ABRS">{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |title=''Philotheca'' |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Philotheca |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra |accessdate=4 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="RBGV">{{cite web |last1=Walsh |first1=Neville |title=''Philotheca'' |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/9f35fef5-6e92-41fa-acd4-045346074a86 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |accessdate=4 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="RBGS">{{cite web |last1=Weston |first1=Peter H. |last2=Harden |first2=Gwen J. |title=''Philotheca'' |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&showsyn=&dist=&constat=&lvl=gn&name=Philotheca |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |accessdate=4 May 2019}}</ref><ref name=FloraBase>{{FloraBase|name=''Philotheca''|id=22449}}</ref>

==Taxonomy and naming== The genus ''Philotheca'' was first formally described in 1816 by Edward Rudge from a specimen collected near Port Jackson and the description was published in ''Transactions of the Linnean Society of London''.<ref name=APNI>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca''|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/472579|publisher=APNI|accessdate=4 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Rudge">{{cite journal |last1=Rudge |first1=Edward |title=A Description of several new Species of Plants from New Holland |journal=Transactions of the Linnean Society of London |date=1815 |volume=11 |issue=2 |page=298 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/13721#page/327/mode/1up |accessdate=4 May 2019}}</ref> The first species Rudge described was ''P. australis'' but this name is considered a nomen illegitimum and a taxonomic synonym of ''Philotheca salsolifolia'' by the Australian Plant Census.<ref name=APC2>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca salsolifolia''|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/67404|publisher=Australian Plant Census|accessdate=4 May 2019}}</ref>

The name ''Philotheca'' should have been written ''Psilotheca'' after the Ancient Greek words ''psilos'' meaning "bare", "smooth", "bald" or "naked"<ref name="RWB">{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Roland Wilbur|title=The Composition of Scientific Words|date=1956|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.}}</ref>{{rp|123}} and ''theke'' meaning "case", "container", "envelope" or "sheath",<ref name ="RWB" />{{rp|118}} referring to "the smooth tube of the stamens".<ref name="Craig">{{cite book |last1=Craig |first1=John |title=A New Universal Etymological and Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language embracing all the terms used in art, science and literature |date=1849 |publisher=Henry George Collins |location=London}}</ref>

Many plants formerly in ''Eriostemon'' are now in this genus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL13/mar99-3.html |first=Michael |last=Bayly |title=A Name Change for Most Eriostemons |work=Australian Plants online |date=March 1999 |publisher=The Society for Growing Australian Plants }}</ref>

==Distribution== Plants in the genus ''Philotheca'' are found in every state of Australia, but not in the Northern Territory.<ref name="RBGS" />

==Species== The following is a list of ''Philotheca'' species accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at April 2019:<ref name="APC">{{cite web |title=''Philotheca'' |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/search?product=APC&tree.id=51209179&name=Philotheca&inc._scientific=&inc.scientific=on&inc._cultivar=&max=100&display=apc&search=true |publisher=Australian Plant Census |accessdate=3 May 2019}}</ref> {{div col|colwidth=30em}} *''Philotheca acrolopha''<small> Paul G.Wilson</small> (Qld.) *''Philotheca angustifolia''<small> (Paul G. Wilson) Paul G. Wilson</small> – narrow-leaf wax flower **''Philotheca angustifolia'' <small> (Paul G. Wilson) Paul G. Wilson</small> subsp. ''angustifolia'' (Vic., S.A.) **''Philotheca angustifolia'' subsp. ''montana''<small> (Paul G. Wilson) Paul G. Wilson</small> (Vic.) *''Philotheca apiculata''<small> (Paul G. Wilson) Paul G. Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca basistyla''<small> Mollemans</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca brevifolia''<small> (A.Cunn. ex Endl.) Paul G. Wilson</small> (N.S.W.) *''Philotheca brucei''<small> (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) **''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''brevifolia''<small> (Paul G. Wilson) Paul G. Wilson</small> **''Philotheca brucei'' <small> (F.Muell.) Paul G. Wilson</small> subsp. ''brucei'' **''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''cinerea''<small> (Paul G. Wilson) Paul G. Wilson</small> *''Philotheca buxifolia''<small> (Sm.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (N.S.W.) **''Philotheca buxifolia'' <small> (Sm.) Paul G. Wilson</small> subsp. ''buxifolia'' – box-leaf wax flower **''Philotheca buxifolia'' subsp. ''falcata''<small> Paul G. Wilson</small> **''Philotheca buxifolia'' subsp. ''obovata''<small> (G.Don) Paul G. Wilson</small> *''Philotheca ciliata''<small> Hook.</small> (Qld., N.S.W.) *''Philotheca citrina''<small> Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca coateana''<small> Paul G. Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca coccinea''<small> (C.A.Gardner) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca conduplicata''<small> (Paul G. Wilson) P.I.Forst.</small> (Qld., N.S.W.) *''Philotheca cuticularis''<small> Paul G. Wilson</small> (Qld.) *''Philotheca cymbiformis''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca deserti''<small> (E. Pritzel) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) **''Philotheca deserti'' subsp. ''brevifolia'' <small>Paul G.Wilson</small> **''Philotheca deserti'' <small>(E.Pritz.) Paul G.Wilson</small> subsp. ''deserti'' *''Philotheca difformis''<small> (A.Cunn. ex Endl.) Paul G.Wilson</small> **''Philotheca difformis'' <small> (A.Cunn. ex Endl.) Paul G. Wilson</small> subsp. ''difformis'' – small-leaf wax-flower (Qld., N.S.W., Vic., S.A.) **''Philotheca difformis'' subsp. ''smithiana''<small> (Benth.) Paul G. Wilson</small> (Qld., N.S.W.) *''Philotheca epilosa''<small> (Paul G. Wilson) P.I.Forst.</small> (Qld., N.S.W.) *''Philotheca eremicola''<small> Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca ericifolia''<small> (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (N.S.W.) *''Philotheca falcata''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca fitzgeraldii''<small> (C.R.P.Andrews) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca freyciana''<small> Rozefelds</small> (Tas.) *''Philotheca gardneri''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) **''Philotheca gardneri'' <small> (A.Cunn. ex Endl.) Paul G. Wilson</small> subsp. ''gardneri'' **''Philotheca gardneri'' subsp. ''globosa''<small> Paul G. Wilson</small> *''Philotheca glabra''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca glasshousiensis''<small> (Domin) P.I.Forst.</small> (Qld.) *''Philotheca hispidula''<small> (Sieber ex Spreng.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (N.S.W.) *''Philotheca kalbarriensis''<small> Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca langei''<small> Mollemans</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca linearis''<small> (A.Cunn. ex Endl.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A., S.A., N.S.W.) *''Philotheca myoporoides''<small> (DC.) M.J.Bayly</small> **''Philotheca myoporoides'' subsp. ''acuta''<small> (Blakely) Bayly</small> (N.S.W.) **''Philotheca myoporoides'' subsp. ''brevipedunculata''<small> Bayly</small> (N.S.W.) **''Philotheca myoporoides'' subsp. ''euroensis''<small> Bayly</small> (Vic.) **''Philotheca myoporoides'' <small> (DC.) Bayly</small> subsp. ''myoporoides'' (N.S.W., Vic.) **''Philotheca myoporoides'' subsp. ''petraea'' <small> Rozefelds</small> (Vic.) *''Philotheca nodiflora''<small> (Lindl.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) **''Philotheca nodiflora'' subsp. ''calycina''<small> (Turcz.) Paul G.Wilson</small> **''Philotheca nodiflora'' subsp. ''lasiocalyx''<small> (Domin) Paul G.Wilson</small> **''Philotheca nodiflora'' subsp. ''latericola''<small> Paul G.Wilson</small> **''Philotheca nodiflora'' <small> (Lindl.) Paul G.Wilson</small> subsp. ''nodiflora'' *''Philotheca nutans''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca obovalis''<small> (A.Cunn.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (N.S.W.) *''Philotheca obovatifolia''<small> (Bayly) P.I.Forst.</small> (Qld., N.S.W.) *''Philotheca pachyphylla''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca papillata''<small> I.Telford & L.M.Copel.</small> (N.S.W.) *''Philotheca pinoides''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca pungens''<small> (Lindl.) Paul G.Wilson</small> — prickly waxflower (Vic., S.A.) *''Philotheca queenslandica''<small> (C.T.White) P.I.Forst.</small> (Qld.) *''Philotheca reichenbachii''<small> Sieber ex Spreng.</small> (N.S.W.) *''Philotheca rhomboidea''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca salsolifolia''<small> (Sm.) Druce</small> (N.S.W., A.C.T.) **''Philotheca salsolifolia'' subsp. ''pedicellata''<small> Paul G.Wilson</small> **''Philotheca salsolifolia'' <small> (Sm.) Druce</small> subsp. ''salsolifolia'' *''Philotheca scabra''<small> (Paxton) Paul G.Wilson</small> (N.S.W.) **''Philotheca scabra'' subsp. ''latifolia''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> **''Philotheca scabra'' <small> (Paxton) Paul G.Wilson </small>subsp. ''scabra'' *''Philotheca sericea''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca spicata''<small> (A.Rich.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca sporadica''<small> (M.J.Bayly) Paul G.Wilson</small> (Qld.) *''Philotheca thryptomenoides''<small> (S.Moore) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca tomentella''<small> (Diels) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca trachyphylla''<small> (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (N.S.W., Vic.) *''Philotheca tubiflora''<small> A.S.George</small> (W.A.) *''Philotheca verrucosa''<small> (A.Rich.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (Vic., S.A., Tas.) *''Philotheca virgata''<small> (Hook.f.) Paul G.Wilson</small> (N.S.W., Vic., Tas.) *''Philotheca wonganensis''<small> (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson</small> (W.A.) {{div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

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Category:Philotheca Category:Zanthoxyloideae genera