Ptilotus erubescens
Schltdl. Hairy TailsDeeply taprooted herb, with 1–several ascending to erect, usually unbranched stems to c. 30 cm high. Stems pubescent, at least in upper part. Basal leaves usually numerous, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, to 10 cm long, 3 mm wide; stem leaves shorter and relatively broader. Spike globoid to ovoid, to 4 cm long, 3 cm diam. (see note below), white, greyish, or tinged pink; bract and bracteoles ovate, 6–12 mm long, acute, straw-coloured; perianth 12–16 mm long, curved upwards at or after anthesis; tepals free almost to base, outer surface densely silky-hairy except for apical 1–3 mm, pink just below apex, inner surface glabrous except for loose woolly tuft at base; fertile stamens 4; ovary sessile, woolly at apex, style eccentric. Flowers Nov.–Feb.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS. Also SA, NSW. Occasional on relatively fertile soils supporting grassland and woodland communities in northern and western Victoria, but not in mallee areas.
A population of aberrant plants with etiolated, narrowly cylindric spikes to c. 12 cm long was located near Boort in 1993. They were growing with normal P. erubescens and in all respects except the elongated spikes were identical with the typical plants.
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Amaranthaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 199–215. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
