Ptilotus is a genus of approximately 125 species of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae, and is endemic to Australia, apart from Ptilotus conicus
Description
Plants in the genus
Ptilotus are annual or perennial herbs or small shrubs, many covered with soft hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately, sometimes on branches and/or in a rosette at the base. The flowers are
Monoecy and borne in compact spherical to oval or cylindrical spikes, each flower with a membranous
bract and two
at the base. There are five, equal, hairy, linear
tepals and five
, sometimes up to three stamens reduced to sterile
, fused into a cap surrounding the ovary. The fruit is a nut or utricle, surrounded by the remains of the
perianth.
Taxonomy
The genus
Ptilotus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.
The genus name means 'winged', particularly 'soft winged'.
In family-level phylogenetic studies, Ptilotus has been placed within a clade informally known as the 'aervoids'.
Species list
Distribution
Most species of
Ptilotus occur in arid parts of Western Australia,
but there are species in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
== Gallery ==
