Thryptomene duplicata

Thryptomene duplicata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with upward pointing, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white flowers with five petals and about fifteen stamens in two whorls.

Thryptomene duplicata
Conservation status
Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Thryptomene
Species:	T. duplicata
Binomial name
Thryptomene duplicata Rye & Trudgen[1]

Description

Thryptomene duplicata is a spreading shrub that typically grows to about 0.8 m (2 ft 7 in) high and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide. Its leaves are pointed upwards, overlapping each other and egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, about 2.6 mm (0.10 in) long and 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.138 in) wide on a petiole up to 1.0 mm (0.039 in) long. The flowers are arranged in pairs or threes on peduncles 0.7–1.4 mm (0.028–0.055 in) long with egg-shaped bracteoles about 2 mm (0.079 in) long that persist until the fruit falls. The flowers are about 6 mm (0.24 in) in diameter with egg-shaped sepals about 1.4 mm (0.055 in) long, with the narrower end towards the base. The petals are white, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long with minute teeth on the edges, and there are about fifteen stamens arranged in two whorls. Flowering occurs around December.^[2][3]

Taxonomy

Thryptomene duplicata was first formally described in 2001 by Barbara Lynette Rye and Malcolm Eric Trudgen in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Trudgen near Binnu in 1993.^[2][4] The specific epithet (duplicata) means "doubled", referring to the number of stamens compared to that of other thryptomenes.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

This thryptomene is only known from a single population near Binnu where it grows in sandy soil in open shrubland.^[3]

Conservation status

Thryptomene duplicata is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,^[3] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations that are potentially at risk.^[5]