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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or in the census. We are hoping to be able to reinstate services around December 15; we will provide an update at that time.

The notice period started at 9:00 am on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Monday, 15 December 2025 +08:00.

Ptilotus auriculifolius (Moq.) F.Muell.

Reference
Syst.Census Austral.Pl. 28 (1882)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Erect annual, herb, 0.4-1.3 m high, leaves, fleshy, 10-130 mm long, 4-65 mm wide; spike, green ovoid, to cylindrical, 15-110 mm long, 25-35 mm wide, bract, glabrous 4-5 mm long, bracteole 9-10 mm long; tepals 10-14 mm long; 5 fertile stamens; ovary hairy; style straight, 5.5-6.5 mm long, centrally fixed to ovary. Fl. green-white-yellow, May to Oct. Red sandy soils. Rocky hills, stony undulating plains.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 27 May 2008
Image

Scientific Description

Annuals, stems several, more or less erect, glabrescent, with nodose or verticillate hairs. Leaves present, 10-130 mm long, 4-65 mm wide, glabrescent or glabrous, with nodose or verticillate hairs; basal rosette present; cauline leaves alternate. Spikes green, ovoid or cylindrical, solitary or clustered, with densely arranged flowers. Bracts 4-5 mm long, colourless, glabrous or hairy, awned or mucronate or not awned or mucronate, with an obscure or a prominent midrib. Bracteoles 7-8.4 mm long, colourless, glabrous, awned or mucronate, with a prominent midrib. Outer tepals 12-13.5 mm long, not entire. Inner tepals 11.8-13 mm long, with a basal tuft of hairs on inner face. Style 5.5-6.5 mm long, straight, centrally fixed to ovary. Seeds 1.7-1.8 mm long, dull, black or brown. Distribution: Eremaean Botanical Region; IBRA regions: Gascoyne, Great Sandy Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Pilbara.

R. Davis, 30 April 2019

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Gascoyne, Great Sandy Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Pilbara.
IBRA Subregions
Augustus, Chichester, Fortescue, Hamersley, Mackay, Roebourne, Rudall.
IMCRA Regions
Pilbara (nearshore).
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, East Pilbara, Karratha, Meekatharra, Port Hedland, Upper Gascoyne.