About Philotheca scabra (Paxton) Paul G.Wilson
Philotheca scabra is a shrub that reaches a height of 0.6 meters (2 feet 0 inches). Its stems are more or less bristly. The leaves are stalkless (sessile), 10 to 15 millimeters (0.39 to 0.59 inches) long. Leaves are either roughly cylindrical and folded lengthwise, or narrow oblong-elliptic with a concave lower surface. Flowers grow singly at the ends of branchlets, on a stalk (peduncle) 0.5 to 2 millimeters (0.020 to 0.079 inches) long and a flower stalk (pedicel) 2 to 5 millimeters (0.079 to 0.197 inches) long, with two pairs of very small bracteoles at the base. This species has five fleshy, semicircular sepals that are about 1 millimeter (0.039 inches) long, five elliptical white to pink petals 7 to 8 millimeters (0.28 to 0.31 inches) long, and ten stamens. Flowering takes place in spring. The fruit is about 7 millimeters (0.28 inches) long, with a beak around 3 millimeters (0.12 inches) long. This plant grows in heath and forest habitats, on the coast and nearby inland ranges of New South Wales, between Sydney and the Nerriga and Nowra districts. The subspecies Philotheca scabra subsp. scabra is found in the northern portion of the species' overall range, while subspecies latifolius occurs near Nerriga and Nowra.
