Philotheca myoporoides
Encyclopedia
Philotheca myoporoides , commonly known as Long-leaf Wax Flower, is a shrub in the family Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae, commonly known as the rue or citrus family, is a family of flowering plants, usually placed in the order Sapindales.Species of the family generally have flowers that divide into four or five parts, usually with strong scents...
. The species is endemic to south-eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is usually up to 2 metres high and produces white flowers in spring and autumn.
The species was first formally described in 1824 by Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle who gave it the name Erisotemon myoporoides. It was transferred to the genus Philotheca
Philotheca
Philotheca is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Rutaceae. Many plants formerly in Eriostemon are now in this genus....
in 1998.
Nine subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are currently recognised:
- E. myoporoides subsp. acuta
- E. myoporoides subsp. brevipedunculata
- E. myoporoides subsp. conduplicatus
- E. myoporoides subsp. epilosa
- E. myoporoides subsp. euroensis
- E. myoporoides subsp. leichhardtii
- E. myoporoides subsp. myoporoides
- E. myoporoides subsp. queenslandicus
- E. myoporoides subsp. obovatifolia
The species occurs in dry forest and heathland in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. In Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, it is recorded in woodland in rocky, mountainous areas in association with Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans
Eucalyptus regnans, known variously by the common names Mountain Ash, Victorian Ash, Swamp Gum, Tasmanian Oak or Stringy Gum, is a species of Eucalyptus native to southeastern Australia, in Tasmania and Victoria...
. It is also found in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Caterpillars of the Orchard Butterfly
Papilio aegeus
Papilio aegeus, commonly known as the Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly or Large Citrus Butterfly is a species of butterfly from the Papilionidae family, that is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea....
feed on this species.
Cultivation
The species is well adapted to cultivation, and plants are commercially available at nurseries in Australia.The species prefers a well-drained postion in light shade. Established plants tolerate both dry periods and moderate frost. Propagation from semi-mature cuttings is the most common form of propagation although some forms are slow to take root.