''Androcalva rossii'', commonly known as native hemp, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is spindly shrub or small tree that forms suckers, its branchlets covered with star-shaped hairs, and has egg-shaped leaves with irregular teeth on the edges, and groups of 18 to 60 white or cream-coloured flowers.

Description

''Androcalva rossii'' is a spindly shrub or small tree that typically grows to high, wide and forms suckers, its new growth covered with rust-coloured, woolly, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are egg-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long with triangular stipules long at the base. The edges of the leaves have irregular teeth, and both surfaces of the leaves are covered with star-shaped hairs, densely so on the lower surface. The flowers are arranged in groups of 18 to 60, long on a

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

long. Each flower is on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long, with

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s long at the base. The flowers are white or cream-coloured, in diameter with 5 petal-like, sometimes pale pink sepals, the lobes long. The petals are white with three lobes, and the

staminode In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen, which means that it does not produce pollen.Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent''; Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. ...

s also have three lobes that are longer than the sepal lobes. Flowering occurs from August to January.

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 2005 by

Gordon Guymer Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordo ...

who gave it the name ''Commersonia rossii'' in the journal '' Austrobaileya'', from specimens collected in 1985 b
David Albrecht
near Lochiel, west of

Pambula Pambula is a town in Bega Valley Shire on the far south coast of New South Wales, Australia south of Sydney via the Princes Highway. At the , Pambula had a population of 970 people. History The area was populated by the Thaua Aboriginal peo ...

. In 2011, Carolyn Wilkins and

Barbara Whitlock Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously as ...

transferred the species to ''Androcalva'' as ''A. rossii'' in '' Australian Systematic Botany''. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''rossii'') honours "Dr Jim Ross, Chiel Botanist, National Herbarium of Victoria".

Distribution and habitat

''Androcalva rossii'' grows in forest and on rainforest margins from near

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in New South Wales to far eastern Victoria.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17579626 rossii Malvales of Australia Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 2005