Mirbelia corallina

Mirbelia corallina is a slender, sprawling sub-shrub that typically grows up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high and 0.6 m (2 ft 0 in) wide. Its leaves are scattered, narrowly elliptic to narrowly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 3.8–7.2 mm (0.15–0.28 in) long and 0.7–1.8 mm (0.028–0.071 in) wide, some reduced to triangular scale-leaves 0.8–1.6 mm (0.031–0.063 in) long and 0.2–0.6 mm (0.0079–0.0236 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in racemes near the ends of branchlets, each flower on a pedicel 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.138 in) long with egg-shaped bracts and bracteoles 0.8–1.65 mm (0.031–0.065 in) long. The sepals are 6.0–9.6 mm (0.24–0.38 in) long and joined at the base, the lower three lobes 2.7–5.8 mm (0.11–0.23 in) long. The standard petal is broadly kidney-shaped with a shallowly notched centre, 6.5–6.8 mm (0.26–0.27 in) long, 9.5–13.4 mm (0.37–0.53 in) wide and coral- to apricot-pink with a yellow centre. The wings are egg-shaped, 7.2–8.7 mm (0.28–0.34 in) long and pink, the keel 5.0–5.6 mm (0.20–0.22 in) long and yellow. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruit is an inflated, oval to elliptic pod about 6.8 mm (0.27 in) long.[2]

Mirbelia corallina was first formally described in 2012 by Ryonen Butcher in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected in Kalbarri National Park in 2008.[2][3] The specific epithet (corallina) means "coral-coloured", referring to the distinctive colour of the flowers.[2]

This mirbelia grows on sandplains and winter-wet places in kwongan and shrubland near Kalbarri and mostly in Kalbarri National Park, in the Geraldton Sandplains bioregion of western, Western Australia.[2][4]

This mirbelia is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions,[4] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[5]