About Pimelea ligustrina Labill.
Pimelea ligustrina Labill. is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.2–3 m (7.9 in – 9 ft 10.1 in) and has smooth, hairless (glabrous) stems. Its leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, and are lance-shaped (with the narrower end at the base) or narrowly elliptic. Most leaves are 15–90 mm (0.59–3.54 in) long and 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) wide, and grow on a short stalk (petiole). The flowers are either bisexual or female, and are creamy white or white, rarely pink. They are arranged in large, erect clusters, surrounded by 4 or 8 lance-shaped to broadly elliptic involucral bracts that are 5–18 mm (0.20–0.71 in) long and 3–14 mm (0.12–0.55 in) wide. The floral tube is 5.5–13 mm (0.22–0.51 in) long, the sepals are 1.5–5 mm (0.059–0.197 in) long and hairy on the outer surface. Flowering time differs between subspecies. The fruit is green and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long. This species of pimelea is found in the Australian Capital Territory and all Australian states except Western Australia. Subspecies ciliata grows in forest, snow gum woodland and heath above 1,400 m (4,600 ft) in areas south from the Brindabella Range in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and eastern Victoria. Subspecies hypericina grows on the margins of wet forest and rainforest, mainly between the Gibraltar Range and Mount Cambewarra in New South Wales. Subspecies ligustrina is widely distributed in forest below 1,400 m (4,600 ft) in south-east Queensland, eastern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, southern Victoria, the far south-east of South Australia, and Tasmania. Ecologically, this pimelea acts as a food plant for caterpillars of the yellow-spot blue butterfly.
