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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 capitatus (F.Muell.) C.A.Gardner

Reference
Enum.Pl.Austral.Occ. 40 (1930)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Erect or spreading perennial, herb or shrub, 0.25-1 m high, leaves lanceolate-elliptical, 8-70 mm long, 2-26 mm wide; spike white cream-brown, ovoid, or cylindrical, 8-40 mm long, 10-15 mm wide; bract 4-4.8 mm long; bracteole 4.4-5.2 mm long; tepals 4.8-6 mm long; 5 fertile stamens; ovary glabrous; style straight, 1.5-2 mm long , centrally fixed to ovary. Fl. white-cream-red, Apr to Sep. Sandy & clayey soils. Rocky situations.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 5 August 2008
Image

Scientific Description

Perennial herbs, stems single, more or less erect, glabrescent or glabrous, with nodose hairs. Leaves present, 8-70 mm long, 2-26 mm wide, glabrescent or glabrous, with nodose hairs; basal rosette absent; cauline leaves alternate. Spikes white or brown, ovoid or cylindrical, solitary, with densely arranged flowers. Bracts 4-4.8 mm long, colourless, glabrous, awned or mucronate, with a prominent midrib. Bracteoles 4.4-5.2 mm long, colourless, glabrous, awned or mucronate, with a prominent midrib. Outer tepals 4.8-5.7 mm long, entire. Inner tepals 4.5-5.3 mm long, with a basal tuft of hairs on inner face. Style 1.5-2 mm long, straight, centrally fixed to ovary. Seeds 1.1-1.3 mm long, dull, black or brown. Distribution: Northern Botanical Region; IBRA regions: Central Kimberley, Dampierland, Northern Kimberley, Ord Victoria Plains, Victoria Bonaparte.

R. Davis, 30 April 2019

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Central Kimberley, Dampierland, Northern Kimberley, Ord Victoria Plain, Victoria Bonaparte.
IBRA Subregions
Fitzroy Trough, Hart, Keep, Mitchell, Mount Eliza, Pentecost, Purnululu, South Kimberley Interzone.
IMCRA Regions
Kimberley.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Derby-West Kimberley, Halls Creek, Wyndham-East Kimberley.