Pimelea octophylla R.Br.

Common Name and Growth Form

Pimelea octophylla, also known as woolly riceflower, is an erect shrub that typically reaches a height of 0.4 to 1 metre (1 foot 4 inches to 3 feet 3 inches).

Young Stem Characteristics

Its young stems are covered in dense hairs.

Leaf Arrangement and Morphology

Most leaves are arranged alternately along the branches, are narrowly elliptic in shape, measure 3 to 18 millimetres long and 1 to 6 millimetres wide, and grow on a short petiole.

Inflorescence Placement and Form

Flowers grow at the ends of branches in compact, usually pendulous clusters.

Inflorescence Flower Count

These clusters contain between 25 and 45 flowers, and sometimes hold as many as 150 flowers.

Involucral Bract Characteristics

At the base of each cluster are 6 to 12 leaf-like involucral bracts that are 8 to 12 millimetres long.

Flower Color and Sexuality

The flowers themselves are cream-coloured to pale yellow, and are either bisexual or female.

Flower Hair Covering

They are covered in dense hairs, with hair only absent at the extreme base.

Floral Part Measurements

The floral tube measures 11 to 14 millimetres long, the sepals measure 2 to 5 millimetres long, and the stamens are shorter than the sepals.

Flowering Period

Flowering occurs mainly from August to February.

Habitat and Distribution Range

This species grows in sandy soil that usually sits over rock, and is found in areas between the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

Local Abundance

It is locally common in western Victoria.