''Platysace'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 22 species of woody perennial herbs, shrubs and

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...

s in the family

Apiaceae Apiaceae () or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium,'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot, or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering p ...

, and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Australia. The flowers are borne on the ends of branches in a compound

umbel UMBEL (Upper Mapping and Binding Exchange Layer) is a logically organized knowledge graph of 34,000 concepts and entity types that can be used in information science for relating information from disparate sources to one another. It was retired ...

and are

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

or male with white, cream-coloured or pinkish flowers.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Platysace'' are woody perennial herbs, shrubs or

s and have

simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by John ...

or lobed leaves. The flowers are borne on the ends of branches in a compound umbel with small

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s and

bracteoles In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

but that sometimes fall off as the flowers open. The flowers are bisexual or male, sometimes without

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s, and have white, cream-coloured or pinkish, elliptical to egg-shaped petals. The fruit has 2 compressed mericarps.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Platysace'' was first described in 1845 by

Alexander von Bunge Alexander Georg von Bunge (; – ) was a Russian botanist. He is best remembered for scientific expeditions into Asia and especially Siberia. Early life and education Bunge was born under the name Alexander Andreevič von Bunge on in Kyiv as ...

in Lehmann's ''

Plantae Preissianae ''Plantae preissianae sive enumeratio plantarum quas in australasia occidentali et meridionali-occidentali annis 1838-1841 collegit Ludovicus Preiss'', more commonly known as ''Plantae preissianae'', is a book written by Johann Georg Christian Le ...

'', and the first species he described (the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

) was '' Platysace cirrosa''. A 2021

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study suggested that it is sister to rest of the family Apiaceae, and so does not belong to any of the four subfamilies into which the family is divided. It has been suggested that it could be placed in a subfamily of its own.

Species

The following is a list of species accepted by the

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Sys ...

as at March 2024: * ''

Platysace arnhemica ''Platysace'' is a genus of about 22 species of woody perennial herbs, shrubs and subshrubs in the family Apiaceae, and is endemic to Australia. The flowers are borne on the ends of branches in a compound umbel and are bisexual or male with white ...

'' Specht * '' Platysace cirrosa'' Bunge – karna (W.A.) * ''

Platysace clelandii ''Platysace clelandii'', is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is small shrub with fan-shaped leaves and white flowers. Description ''Platysace clelandii'' is a small, scrambling shrub to high and st ...

'' (

Maiden Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

Betche Daniel Ludwig Ernst Betche (31 December 1851, in Potsdam – 28 June 1913, in Sydney) was a German-Australian horticulturist and botanist. His mother died at his birth and he was of delicate constitution all his life. His father was sufficiently ...

) L.A.S.Johnson (N.S.W.) * ''

Platysace commutata ''Platysace commutata'' is a shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has linear leaves and white to cream-coloured or blue flowers. Description ''Platysace commutata'' is a heath-like shrub with rod-like branches that t ...

'' ( Turcz.) C.Norman (W.A.) * '' Platysace compressa'' ( Labill.) C.Norman (tapeworm plant) (W.A.) * ''

Platysace deflexa ''Platysace deflexa'', known by its Noongar name youlk or as Ravensthorpe radish, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tuberous, perennial herb or shrub with linear ...

'' (Turcz.) C.Norman (W.A.) * ''

Platysace effusa ''Platysace effusa'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tuberous, perennial herb or shrub with linear leaves and white flowers in a compound umbel. Description ...

'' (Turz.) C.Norman (W.A.) * '' Platysace ericoides'' ( Sieber ex Spreng.) C.Norman (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.) * '' Platysace filiformis'' (Bunge) C.Norman (W.A.) * '' Platysace haplosciadia'' (

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

) C.Norman * '' Platysace heterophylla'' (Benth.) C.Norman ** ''Platysace heterophylla'' (Benth.) C.Norman var. ''heterophylla'' ** ''Platysace heterophylla'' var. ''tepperi'' ( J.M.Black) H.Eichler * '' Platysace juncea'' (Bunge) C.Norman * ''

Platysace lanceolata ''Platysace lanceolata'', commonly known as shrubby platysace, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and is endemism, endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is small, upright shrub with variable shaped leaves and white flowers. Descript ...

'' (Labill.) Druce (shrubby platysace) * '' Platysace linearifolia'' ( Cav.) C.Norman * '' Platysace maxwellii'' (F.Muell.) C.Norman (karno) * '' Platysace pendula'' (Benth.) C.Norman * '' Platysace ramosissima'' (Benth.) C.Norman * '' Platysace saxatilis'' Keighery * '' Platysace stephensonii'' (Turcz.) C.Norman * '' Platysace trachymenioides'' F.Muell. * '' Platysace valida'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. * '' Platysace xerophila'' ( E.Pritz.) L.A.S.Johnson

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q954641 Apiaceae genera Taxa named by Alexander von Bunge