Citation: J. Black, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 42:177 (1918).

Synonymy: F. pauciflora DC. var. thymoides Benth., Fl. Aust. 1:152 (1863); F. muscosa J. Black, Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 42:177 (1918).

Common name: Leafy sea-heath.

Description:
Compact woody dwarf shrubs to 15 cm tall; branches differentiated into long- and short-shoots, hirtellous with short spreading hairs, internodes 1-9 mm long; long-shoot leaves 2-8 mm long; leaf bases broad, medially somewhat thickened, flattened near the margins, not narrowing at the distal end, 0.8-1.2 mm wide at the distal end, 0.1-0.7 mm long, usually extremely reduced with leaf blades extending almost to the point of insertion; leaf blades ovate or oblong to narrowly ovate or oblong, subterete, 0.8-1.4 mm wide; margins strongly thickened, tightly revolute on fresh, dried and boiled material; mid-vein abaxially raised, occupying almost the entire abaxial surface, broad, flat, tapering toward the apex, very prominent; surfaces grey-green, adaxial and abaxial surfaces usually puberulent with spreading hairs, mid-vein and adaxial surface rarely glabrous; short-shoot leaves often slightly shorter than subtending long-shoot leaves.

Flowers borne at the top 1 or 2 nodes of the upper branches, commonly in dichasia with 2-16 flowers or solitary; floral bracts leaf-like, basally connate into whorls of 4; calyces 5-lobed, 4.8-6.3 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, tubular to oblong-ellipsoid or ovoid-ellipsoid, indurate, puberulent throughout or centres of fibs glabrous, margins and grooves puberulent, hairs spreading; petals 5, spathulate to broadly spathulate, 7.1-11 mm long; stamens 6, in 2 subequal whorls, 5.5-9.2 mm long; styles 5-6.5 mm long; style-branches 3, 1.6-2.7 mm long; stigmas terminally oblique, terete to lightly swollen at the tips, 0.3-0.6 mm long; ovaries with 3 parietal or basal-parietal placentae, 0.8-1.8 mm high, extending up the lower one-third to three-fifths of the ovary wall; ovules c. 14-40, attached along the entire placenta by erect funicles of variable length.

Fruits 3-27-seeded, seeds 0.6-1.1 mm long.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 500.

Distribution:  On saline and gypseous soils. S.Aust.: NW, LE, GT, FR, EP, MU.   N.T.; N.S.W.; Vic. Conservation status: native Flowering time: June — March.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available