Philotheca myoporoides

Philotheca myoporoides is a species of shrub that typically grows to a height of 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The leaves are sessile, oblong to broadly egg-shaped, glandular-warty, papery to leathery, 15–110 mm (0.59–4.33 in) long and 4–20 mm (0.16–0.79 in) wide with a prominent midrib. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to eight, in leaf axils on a peduncle up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long, each flower on a pedicel 1–10 mm (0.039–0.394 in) long. The sepals are broadly triangular, about 1 mm (0.039 in) long and 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) wide and the petals are white to pink, about 8 mm (0.31 in) long with a prominent keel. Flowering mainly occurs in spring and autumn and the fruit is about 7 mm (0.28 in) long with a beak about 3 mm (0.12 in) long.[2][3][4]

This species was first formally described in 1824 by Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle who gave it the name Eriostemon myoporoides in his book Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.[5][6] In 1998 Michael James Bayly changed the name to Philotheca myoporoides in the journal Muelleria.[7][8]

In the same journal, Bayly described nine subspecies,[8] four of which are accepted by the Australian Plant Census, and in 2001, Andrew Rozefelds described a fifth subspecies:[9]

• Philotheca myoporoides subsp. acuta (Blakely) Bayly[10] has oblong-elliptic or egg-shaped leaves 13–30 mm (0.51–1.18 in) long and 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) wide;[8]
• Philotheca myoporoides subsp. brevipedunculata Bayly[11] has oblong, elliptic or lance-shaped leaves 40–45 mm (1.6–1.8 in) long and 2–8 mm (0.079–0.315 in) wide;[8]
• Philotheca myoporoides subsp. euroensis Bayly[12] has broad elliptic leaves 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) long and 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in) wide;[8]
• Philotheca myoporoides (DC.) Bayly subsp. myoporoides [13] has oblong-elliptic or lance-shaped leaves 20–50 mm (0.79–1.97 in) long and 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) wide;[8]
• Philotheca myoporoides subsp. petraea Rozefelds[14] has leaves 8–16 mm (0.31–0.63 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) wide.[9]

Subspecies acuta grows on rocky sandstone hills from Lockhart to near Cobar.[15][16] Subspecies brevipedunculata is found coastal areas to mountain summits between Sassafras and Moruya in south-eastern New South Wales.[17][18][19] Subspecies euroensis grows among granite boulders on the Strathbogie Ranges near Euroa in north-eastern Victoria.[20][21] Subspecies myoporoides grows in forest and heathland, usually near watercourses, mostly along the Great Dividing Range from the northern border of New South Wales to near Healesville in Victoria.[22][23][24] Subspecies petraea is only known from rocky areas on Mount Stewart, west of Gelantipy in north-eastern Victoria.[9][25]

Caterpillars of the orchard butterfly feed on this species.[26]

The species is well adapted to cultivation, and plants are commercially available at nurseries in Australia.[27] The species prefers a well-drained position in light shade. Established plants tolerate both dry periods and moderate frost. Plants may be propagated from semi-mature cuttings, though some forms are slow to take root.[28]

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