Androcalva bivillosa

Androcalva bivillosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate, spreading shrub with clusters of 3 to 9 white to pink flowers.

Description
Androcalva bivillosa is a prostrate shrub that typically grows up to 40 cm high, 1–2 m wide, its stems densely covered with both star-shaped and glandular hairs. The leaves are egg-shaped, elliptic or oblong, 6–22 mm long and 3–16 mm wide on a petiole 2–6 mm long with stipules 2–6 mm long at the base. The tip of the leaves is rounded, the edges are irregularly serrated and wavy, the upper surface is dark green and glossy, the lower surface densely covered with white, star-shaped hairs. The flowers are arranged in groups of 3 to 9 on a peduncle 1–4 mm long, each flower on a pedicel 4–7 mm long, with narrow bracts 3–5 mm long at the base. The flowers are 6–8 mm in diameter with 5 white petal-like sepals with a red base, and 5 rounded petals with a yellowish, stalked base. There are 3 staminodes between each pair of stamens, the central one egg-shaped and the other two linear. Flowering occurs from July to October.

Taxonomy
Androcalva bivillosa was first formally described in 2011 by Carolyn Wilkins in Australian Systematic Botany from specimens collected from near Northampton in 2003. The specific epithet (bivillosa) means "two villous", referring to the two different types of hairs on the plant.

Distribution and habitat
This species grows in kwongan woodland and remnant roadside vegetation in only 3 known locations near Northampton and Ajana in the Geraldton Sandplains bioregion of south-western Western Australia.

Conservation status
Androcalva bivillosa is listed as "threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, meaning that it is in danger of extinction.