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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.

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Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell.
Cotton Bush

Reference
Fragm. (Mueller) 6:228-229 (1868)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Shrub, 0.1-1.4 m high. Fl. pink-white-other, Jun to Dec. Variety of soils, red sand. Gravelly hills.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 31 August 1999
Image

Scientific Description

Shrubs, stems single or several, more or less erect, persistently hairy, with dendritic hairs. Leaves present, 6-50 mm long, 3-18 mm wide, persistently hairy, with dendritic or stellate hairs; basal rosette absent; cauline leaves alternate. Spikes pink, ovoid or cylindrical, clustered, with densely arranged flowers. Bracts (1.8-)2.5-3.5 mm long, coloured or colourless, hairy, not awned or mucronate, with an obscure or a prominent midrib. Bracteoles (2.5-)3-4.5 mm long, colourless, hairy, awned or mucronate, with a prominent midrib. Outer tepals (8.3-)8.5-10(-11) mm long, not entire. Inner tepals 8-9.8(-10.8) mm long, with a basal tuft of hairs on inner face. Style 3.4 mm long, curved, obliquely fixed to ovary. Distribution: South West, Northern and Eremaean Botanical Region; IBRA regions: Dampierland.

R. Davis, 30 April 2019

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Central Ranges, Coolgardie, Dampierland, Gascoyne, Geraldton Sandplains, Gibson Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Hampton, Little Sandy Desert, Mallee, Murchison, Nullarbor, Pilbara, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Ashburton, Augustus, Cape Range, Carlisle, Carnegie, Central, Chichester, Dune Field, Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Mallee, Eastern Murchison, Edel, Fortescue, Geraldton Hills, Hamersley, Hampton, Katanning, Lateritic Plain, Mackay, Mann-Musgrave Block, Maralinga, Mardabilla, Merredin, Nullarbor Plain, Pindanland, Roebourne, Rudall, Shield, Southern Cross, Tallering, Trainor, Western Murchison, Wooramel.
IMCRA Regions
Ningaloo, Pilbara (nearshore), Pilbara (offshore), Shark Bay, Zuytdorp.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, Carnamah, Carnarvon, Chapman Valley, Coolgardie, Cue, Dalwallinu, Dowerin, Dundas, East Pilbara, Esperance, Exmouth, Greater Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Karratha, Koorda, Laverton, Leonora, Meekatharra, Menzies, Merredin, Mingenew, Morawa, Mount Magnet, Mount Marshall, Mukinbudin, Murchison, Ngaanyatjarraku, Northampton, Nungarin, Perenjori, Port Hedland, Sandstone, Shark Bay, Trayning, Upper Gascoyne, Westonia, Wiluna, Wongan-Ballidu, Wyalkatchem, Yalgoo, Yilgarn.