Gossypium australe

Gossypium australe is an endemic woody shrub, related to cotton, found in north western Australia. Preferring sandy soils near watercourses, it grows to about two or three feet tall. The leaves are grey and hairy, oval to elliptic, 3 in long and soft to the touch. Flowers are around 1 - 2 in long and present a pale pink mauve 'rose' with a deeper shade at the centre. Fruit are hairy, spherical and contain a bristly seed 1/6 in long.

It is sometimes confused with Sturt's desert rose Gossypium sturtianum.