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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system and census were set to read-only mode on 1 October 2025. Taxonomic updates published since this time are not being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or Western Australia’s taxonomic names census (Nomos). Conservation listings displayed on Florabase may also be out of date. Please refer to DBCA’s Threatened species and communities webpage for the most recent Threatened and Priority Flora List, noting that recent taxonomic updates are similarly not included. Our database migration is moving to a staging phase. We thank you for your patience as we ensure the integrity of our biodiversity data, develop new workflows, and train staff to use the new systems. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

The notice period started at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Friday, 1 January 2027 +08:00.

Lawrencia diffusa (Benth.) Melville

Reference
Kew Bull. 20:514 (1966)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Diminutive, prostrate perennial, herb or shrub, 0.005-0.02 m high, 0.05-0.3 m wide. Fl. white, Sep to Nov. Sandy & clayey soils. Near salt lakes, claypans.

Grazyna Paczkowska, Descriptive Catalogue, 23 September 1996

Scientific Description

Shrub, with glabrous or scaly stems. Leaves 6-30 mm long, 1.5-7 mm wide, irregularly lobed, simply (once-)lobed; margins entire; hairs and scales absent (leaves quite glabrous)with scales scales, Sessile glands absent; stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 1.7-2.2 mm long. Perianth clearly of two whorls (calyx and corolla), the corolla obvious and prominent. Pedicel present, 1.5 mm long; glabrous. Epicalyx (extra segments or 'bracteoles' immediately below the calyx) absent. Calyx 2.5 mm long, Sessile glands absent, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) absent, stellate hairs absent, tubercle-based simple hairs absent, gland-tipped hairs absent, scales scales present, Terminal appendages absent, number of ribs absent. Corolla white, 2.5 mm long, glabrous, scales absent. Indumentum (outside) Sessile glands absent. Stamens many, united and arising from a staminal tube around the style; filaments present, 0.4-0.6 mm long; anthers 0.5-0.6 mm long, indumentum absent (anthers glabrous). Staminodes absent, appendages absent. Ovary hairs and scales absent (ovary quite glabrous); style 1, 2.5 mm long, with one or four style branches or lobes, mostly glabrous, wing absent. Flowering time September, October or November. Distribution Botanical Province Eremaean or South-West, IBRA Bioregion Yalgoo, Murchison, Coolgardie, Avon Wheatbelt, Mallee and Esperance.

C. Hollister and K.R. Thiele, 11 August 2023

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee, Murchison, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Mallee, Eastern Murchison, Fitzgerald, Katanning, Lesueur Sandplain, Mardabilla, Merredin, Recherche, Southern Cross, Tallering, Western Mallee.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Albany, Coolgardie, Dundas, Esperance, Gnowangerup, Greater Geraldton, Irwin, Jerramungup, Kent, Lake Grace, Menzies, Perenjori, Wongan-Ballidu, Woodanilling, Yilgarn.