Commersonia parviflora (Endl.) F.Muell.
Small Flowered Rulingia

Scientific Description

Shrub, with glabrous stems. Leaves 10-35 mm long, 4-30 mm wide, not lobed, tripartitely lobed or irregularly lobed, simply (once-)lobed; margins sinuate; hairy, with Simple hairs (without tubercle bases), with stellate hairswith scales absent, Sessile glands absent; stipules present but early deciduous (only visible on youngest leaves), 7-15 mm long. Perianth clearly of two whorls (calyx and corolla), the corolla obvious and prominent. Pedicel present, 3-5.5 mm long; indumentum present, with stellate hairs present, with scales absent. Epicalyx (extra segments or 'bracteoles' immediately below the calyx) absent. Calyx pink, 3.8-5 mm long, the lobes fused less than half their length, Sessile glands absent, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) present, stellate hairs present, scales absent, Terminal appendages absent, number of ribs absent. Corolla pink, 3.5-4 mm long, glabrous, scales absent. Indumentum (outside) Sessile glands absent. Stamens five, free and inserted at the base of the ovary; filaments present, 0.5-1.2 mm long; anthers 0.7-0.9 mm long, indumentum absent (anthers glabrous). Staminodes present, appendages absent. Ovary hairs or scales present, simple hairs absent, stellate hairs present, gland-tipped hairs absent; styles several, free and separate, arising from the summit of the ovary, 0.6-0.7 mm long, with five style branches or lobes, hairy for most of length, wing absent. Fruits dehiscent (capsules and follicles), length-width ratio more or less as long as wide, hairs or scales present, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) absent, stellate hairs present, Sessile glands absent, tubercle-based simple hairs absent, gland-tipped hairs absent, scales absent; apex rounded; prickles present, abundantly covering the fruit; terminal awns or spines absent; calyx persistent to mature fruit, not accrescent. Flowering time July, August, September, October or November. Distribution Botanical Province South-West, IBRA Bioregion Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Warren and Esperance.