Pseudanthus orbicularis



Pseudanthus orbicularis is a species of flowering plant in the family Picrodendraceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a compact, monoecious shrub with simple, broadly elliptic to round leaves and creamy white, red or pale red flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.

Description
Pseudanthus orbicularis is a compact, monoecious shrub that typically grows up to 1.5 m high and wide, and has glabrous branchlets. The leaves are broadly elliptic to round, 1.4–3.6 mm long and 1.2–2.3 mm wide on a petiole 0.2–0.6 mm long with reddish-brown, triangular stipules 0.4–0.7 mm long at the base. The flowers are arranged singly in upper leaf axils with bracts 0.3–0.5 mm long at the base. Male flowers are on a pedicel 0.4–0.6 mm long, the 6 tepals creamy white or red, 0.9–1.3 mm long and 0.5–0.8 mm wide and there are 6 stamens. Female flowers are sessile, the 5 or 6 tepals pale red, 1.4–1.7 mm long and 0.6–0.9 mm wide. Flowering occurs in most months, and the fruit is a narrowly oval capsule 3.8–4.5 mm long.

Taxonomy and naming
This species was first formally described in 1864 by Johannes Müller Argoviensis who gave it the name Caletia divaricatissima var. orbicularis in Flora: oder Allgemeine Botanischer Zeitung from specimens collected by Ferdinand von Mueller. In 2003 by David Halford and Rodney Henderson raised the variety to species status as Pseudanthus orbicularis in the journal Austrobaileya. The specific epithet (orbicularis) means orbicular.

Distribution and habitat
Pseudanthus orbicularis grows in rocky places on hills and ridges in shrubland, low woodland and shrubby open forest. It grows in disjunct populations on the Central Western Slopes and South Coast of New South Wales and scattered places, mainly in eastern Victoria. It is listed as "vulnerable" in Victoria, under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.