Philotheca brucei

{{Short description|Species of shrub}} {{speciesbox |name = Narrow-leaf wax-flower |image = Philotheca brucei.jpg |image_caption = ''Philotheca brucei'' near Paynes Find |genus = Philotheca |species = brucei |authority = (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson<ref name=APC>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca brucei''|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162029|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> |synonyms_ref =<ref name="APC" /> |synonyms = ''Eriostemon brucei'' F.Muell. }} '''''Philotheca brucei''''' is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with cylindrical leaves grooved along the top and in spring, white to pink or mauve flowers with five egg-shaped petals.

==Description== ''Philotheca brucei'' is a shrub that grows to a height of {{cvt|2|m}} with erect branchlets. The leaves are thin cylindrical to narrow oblong, up to {{cvt|15|mm}} long, with the upper surface dished or channelled, sometimes densely covered with star-shaped hairs. The flowers are borne singly on a pedicel {{cvt|0.5-4|mm}} long. There are five more or less fleshy, round sepals about {{cvt|1|mm}} long and five broadly egg-shaped, glabrous, white to pale pink or mauve petals about {{cvt|4.5|mm}} long. There are ten stamens each with an anther {{cvt|0.5-1|mm}} long.<ref name="ABRS">{{cite web |last1=Kodela |first1=Phillip |last2=Bolton |first2=Peri E. |title=''Philotheca brucei'' |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Philotheca%20brucei |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra |access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="Wilson">{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |title=A taxonomic revision of the genera ''Crowea'', ''Eriostemon'' and ''Phebalium'' (Rutaceae) |journal=Nuytsia |date=1970 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=52–53 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/223300#page/58/mode/1up |access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref>

==Taxonomy and naming== This species was first formally described in 1869 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name ''Eriostemon brucei'' and published the description in ''Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae''.<ref name=APNI1>{{cite web|title=''Eriostemon brucei''|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/470008|publisher=APNI|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="F.Muell.">{{cite book |last1=von Mueller |first1=Ferdinand |title=Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae |date=1869 |volume=7 |publisher=Victorian Government Printer |location=Melbourne |pages=38–39 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/7224#page/39/mode/1up |access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> The specific epithet (''brucei'') honours John Bruce who was for a time the acting governor of Western Australia.<ref name="F.Muell." />

In 1970 Paul Wilson described three subspecies, ''brevifolia'', ''brucei'' and ''cinerea''. The descriptions were published in the journal ''Nuytsia''.<ref name="Wilson" /> In 1990, Wilson transferred ''Eriostemon brucei'' to the genus ''Philotheca'' as ''P. brucei''.<ref name=APNI>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca brucei''|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/557422|publisher=APNI|access-date=4 May 2019}}</ref> He also transferred the three subspecies to ''Philotheca'' and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census: * ''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''brevifolia'' (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson<ref name=APC1>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''brevifolia''|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162034|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> has densely hairy leaves that are only up to{{cvt|1.5|mm}} long; * ''Philotheca brucei'' (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson subsp. ''brucei''<ref name=APC2>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''brucei''|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162031|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> has more or less cylindrical leaves that are glabrous when mature; * ''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''cinerea'' (Paul G.Wilson) Paul G.Wilson.<ref name=APC3>{{cite web|title=''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''cinerea''|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/162035|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> has densely hairy, oblong leaves.

==Distribution and habitat== Subspecies ''brevifolia'' grows on rocky hills between Paynes Find and Sandstone. Subspecies ''brucei'' grows on rocky hills and breakaways within {{cvt|500|km}} of the west coast of Western Australia. Subspecies ''cinerea'' grows on laterite breakaways near the upper Murchison River.<ref name="Wilson" /><ref name=FloraBase1>{{FloraBase|name=''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''brevifolia''|id=18538}}</ref><ref name=FloraBase2>{{FloraBase|name=''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''brucei''|id=18537}}</ref><ref name=FloraBase3>{{FloraBase|name=''Philotheca brucei'' subsp. ''cinerea''|id=18540}}</ref>

==Conservation status== All three subspecies of ''Philotheca brucei'' are classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.<ref name="FloraBase1" /><ref name="FloraBase2" /><ref name="FloraBase3" />

==References== {{Reflist}}

brucei Category:Flora of Western Australia Category:Sapindales of Australia Category:Plants described in 1869 Category:Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller