Pimelea axiflora subsp. axiflora
Bootlace BushShrub 1–3 m high; stems glabrous or sometimes with minute hairs. Leaves 10–75 mm long, 1–12 mm wide. Bracts brown or green, involucral bracts often hairy outside, subtending bracts usually partially hairy outside. Flowers densely hairy outside towards base, less densely hairy above, sometimes almost glabrous on sepals; female flowers with floral tube 2.5–3 mm long. Flowers Jun.–Dec.
VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, CVU, GGr, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also NSW, Tas. Mainly occurring at altitudes below 1000 m, often growing along streams and in wet forests.
Characterized by axillary flower heads with small, papery bracts, and usually (but not always) by long narrow leaves. Although most plants have glabrous stems, a variant from southern Victoria (from Mt Macedon to Thomson River) has stems with minute (less than 0.1 mm long) hairs.
The common names refer to the use of the tough fibrous bark for string by indigenous people and early settlers.
Entwisle, T.J. (1996). Thymelaeaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 912–930. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
