Family: Phrymaceae
Glossostigma diandrum
Citation:
Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2:461 (1891).
Synonymy: Limosella diandra L., Mant. Alt. 252 (1771); Glossostigma spathulatum Wight & Arn. ex Am., Nova Acta Phys. Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 18:355 (1836), nom. illegit.
Common name: None
Description:
Tiny glabrous, aquatic or terrestrial, ?annual herb sometimes forming mats; leaves clustered to widely spaced, 1.5-10 mm long, thin and flat throughout, the mid-vein apparent throughout the length of the lower side, the petiole linear, usually expanded gradually into the narrow-elliptic to obovate, narrow-acute to more or less obtuse, forward-directed blade 1-3 times broader than the petiole and 0.5-2 times its length.
Pedicels erect, 2-15 mm long, 0.5-3 times the length of the leaves; calyx campanulate, 0.5-1.5 mm long, red-brown, sometimes green, rarely lined in black, with 1 large and 2 small teeth; corolla conspicuous, 2-lipped, white, pale-blue or lilac, the 3-5 lobes 0.5-1 mm long, at least sometimes ciliolate; stamens 2, included in the corolla; stigmatic lobe narrow-elliptic.
Seeds 0.3-0.5 mm long.
| Habit, variation in flowers and stamen
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Image source: fig. 581A in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Burbidge (1970) Flora of A.CT., fig. 327.
Distribution:
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Damp drying sand to clay in ephemeral rock pools, waterholes, creek-beds, depressions on fiver flats, or (KI) swamp, sometimes submerged in creeks and pools.
S.Aust.: NW, LE, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, SL, KI, SE. All mainland States. New Zealand, India, Africa.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: all months, dependent on rains.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
The S.Aust. plants rarely form mats. In the NT and possibly extending as far as India occurs a more luxuriant form forming dense mats in water or on wet margins of rockholes; it has a subcylindrical calyx 1-2 mm long and longer leaves to 15 mm long, with broader blades. It has not been collected in S.Aust.
Author:
Not yet available
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