''Ptilotus'' 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 approximately 125 species of flowering plants in the family

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae ( ) is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus '' Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, maki ...

, 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, apart from ''

Ptilotus conicus ''Ptilotus conicus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Amaranthaceae'' and is native to northern Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. It is an erect annual herb, with narrowly linear leaves on the stems, and cylindrical spikes of p ...

'' that also occurs in

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. It is a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical kingdom. It was first recognized as a distinct region ...

. Plants in the genus ''Ptilotus'' are

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

herbs Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...

or shrubs with usually hairy spikes of compact spherical, oval or cylindrical flowers.

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 Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to: Flower shaped designs * Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation * Rosette (design), a small flower design *hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms: ** R ...

at the base. The flowers 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 ...

and borne in compact spherical to oval or cylindrical spikes, each flower with a membranous

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 ...

and two

bracteole 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 ...

s at the base. There are five, equal, hairy, linear

tepals A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of ve ...

and five

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s, sometimes up to three stamens reduced to sterile

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, fused into a cap surrounding the

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

. The fruit is a

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed * Nut (food), a dry and edible fruit or seed, including but not limited to true nuts * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut, NUT or Nuts may also refer to: A ...

or utricle, surrounded by the remains of the

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...

Taxonomy

The genus ''Ptilotus'' was first formally described in 1810 by

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

in his ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a book by the botanist Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and ...

''. 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'. It has been resolved as monophyletic and is closely related to ''

Aerva ''Aerva'' is a genus of plants in the family Amaranthaceae. Its species are native to the palaeotropics, throughout continental Africa, Madagascar and smaller islands (Mauritius and Socotra), through parts of the Middle East, India, and southeas ...

'' Forssk.

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

Image:Ptilotus exaltatus Pilbara.jpg, ''

Ptilotus exaltatus ''Ptilotus exaltatus'', commonly known as tall mulla mulla, large pink pussy-tails, pink mulla mulla , lambs tail, or showy foxtail, is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Amaranthaceae'' and is endemic to large parts of arid and sem ...

'' Nees Image:Ptilotus obovatus bisexual flower.jpg, ''

Ptilotus obovatus ''Ptilotus obovatus'' (Gaudich.) F.Muell. is a shrub in the genus ''Ptilotus ''Ptilotus'' is a genus of approximately 125 species of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae, and is endemic to Australia, apart from ''Ptilotus conicus'' t ...

'' (Gaudich.) F.Muell. Image:Ptilotus eriotrichus.jpg, ''

Ptilotus eriotrichus ''Ptilotus eriotrichus'' is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Amaranthaceae'' and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to erect or scrambling shrub with wiry stems, egg-shaped to lance-shaped stem leav ...

'' (Gaudich.) F.Muell. Image:Ptilotus stirlingii.jpg, ''

Ptilotus stirlingii ''Ptilotus'' is a genus of approximately 125 species of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae, and is endemic to Australia, apart from '' Ptilotus conicus'' that also occurs in Malesia. Plants in the genus ''Ptilotus'' are annual or perenn ...

'' (Lindl.) F.Muell. subsp. ''stirlingii'' Image:Ptilotus declinatus.jpg, ''

Ptilotus declinatus ''Ptilotus declinatus'', commonly known as curved mulla mulla, is a species of flowering plant in the family ''Amaranthaceae'' and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate or ascending perennial herb, with leaves at ...

'' Nees Image:Ptilotus fusiformis.jpg, ''

Ptilotus fusiformis ''Ptilotus'' is a genus of approximately 125 species of flowering plants in the family Amaranthaceae, and is endemic to Australia, apart from '' Ptilotus conicus'' that also occurs in Malesia. Plants in the genus ''Ptilotus'' are annual or perenn ...

'' (R.Br.) Poir. Image:Ptilotus nobilis.jpg, ''

Ptilotus nobilis ''Ptilotus nobilis'', commonly known as yellow tails, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb of the family Amaranthaceae. It is found in arid regions of South Australia, southern and eastern Northern Territory, western Queensland and western ...

'' (Lindl.) F.Muell Image:Ptilotus appendiculatus.jpg, '' Ptilotus appendiculatus'' Benl Image:Ptilotus latifolius.jpg, '' Ptilotus latifolius'' R.Br. Image:Ptilotus drummondii.jpg, '' Ptilotus drummondii'' (Moq.) F.Muell. Image:Ptilotus_macrocephalus2.jpg, '' Ptilotus xerophilus'' T.Hammer & R.W.Davis Image:Ptilotus_rotundifolius2.jpg, ''

Ptilotus rotundifolius ''Ptilotus rotundifolius'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. is a pink-flowered species of shrub in the genus ''Ptilotus'' R.Br. (Amaranthaceae). It is commonly known as "royal mulla mulla". It is native to the Gascoyne, Murchison and Pilbara IBRA regions of ...

'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q146942 Amaranthaceae genera Flora of the Australasian realm Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)