Stylidium tenerrimum
| Stylidium tenerrimum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Stylidiaceae |
| Genus: | Stylidium |
| Subgenus: | Andersonia |
| Section: | Alsinoida |
| Species: | S. tenerrimum |
| Binomial name | |
| Stylidium tenerrimum F.Muell. | |
| Synonyms | |
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Stylidium tenerrimum is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae). It is an erect annual plant that grows from 4 to 30 cm tall. Linear, oblanceolate, or deltate leaves, about 5-24 per plant, are scattered along the stems. The leaves are generally 1.2-4.8 mm long and 0.3-0.8 mm wide. This species lacks a scape but has cymose inflorescences that are 4-11 cm long. Flowers are white and red. S. tenerrimum is found around Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia and the Victoria River, though it hasn't been recollected there since the type location was chosen. Its typical habitat is sandy soils that remain moist, associated with grasses and sedges. It flowers in the southern hemisphere from April to August. S. tenerrimum is most closely related to S. alsinoides, though it differs by its asymmetrical petals. In his revision of the subgenus Andersonia in 2000, A.R. Bean placed S. evolutum into synonymy and noted that the type specimen of S. mitrasacmoides was not located and thus the application of this synonym is not certain. Tony Bean assessed this species' conservation status as data deficient in 2000.[1][1]