''Thryptomene'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...

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. Plants in the genus ''Thryptomene'' are shrubs with small leaves arranged in opposite pairs and white or pink flowers. About forty-seven species of ''Thryptomene'', occurring in all Australian states and the Northern Territory, have been formally described.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Thryptomene'' are erect, slender shrubs typically growing to a height of with small leaves arranged in opposite pairs with oil

glands A gland is a Cell (biology), cell or an Organ (biology), organ in an animal's body that produces and secretes different substances that the organism needs, either into the bloodstream or into a body cavity or outer surface. A gland may also funct ...

especially visible on the lower surface. The flowers are usually arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils, and usually have five

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, five white or pink petals and five, rarely ten or fifteen

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. 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 ...

usually containing a single seed.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Thryptomene'' was first formally described in 1838 by

Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher Stephan Friedrich Ladislaus Endlicher, also known as Endlicher István László (24 June 1804 – 28 March 1849), was an Austrian botanist, numismatist and Sinologist. He was a director of the Botanical Garden of Vienna. Biography Endlicher ...

in ''Stirpium Australasicarum Herbarii Hugeliani Decades Tres'', published in the journal ''Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte'' and the first species described was ''

Thryptomene australis ''Thryptomene australis'', commonly known as hook-leaf thryptomene, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy and spreading shrub with upward-pointing lea ...

''. The name ''Thryptomene'' means "made small".

Species list

The following is a list of ''Thrypomene'' 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 of April 2021:

Use in horticulture

Thryptomene saxicola ''Thryptomene saxicola'', commonly known as rock thryptomene, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with small oval or egg-shaped leaves and pale p ...

'' has been cultivated for many years as a hardy garden plant and along with '' T. calycina'' is popular in the cut-flower trade.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3275821 Endemic flora of Australia Myrtaceae genera Myrtales of Australia Taxa named by Stephan Endlicher