Styphelia deserticola

Styphelia deserticola is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with sharply-pointed, narrowly egg-shaped leaves and white or pale cream-coloured, tube-shaped flowers usually arranged in groups of 2 or 3 in leaf axils.

Description
Styphelia deserticola is an erect shrub that typically grows to a 90 cm high and wide. The leaves are narrowly egg-shaped, 5–9.5 mm long, 1.0–2.1 mm wide, the edges curved down and sharply-pointed on a petiole 0.3–0.6 mm long. The flowers are usually arranged in groups of 2 or 3 in leaf axils, with bracts 0.5–0.7 mm long and egg-shaped bracteoles 0.9–1.2 mm long at the base. The sepals are egg-shaped or narrowly egg-shaped, 2.0–2.6 mm long, pale greenish to straw-coloured. The petals are white or pale cream-coloured, and joined at the base to form a tube 1.2–2.0 mm long, the lobes 3.2–4.5 mm long and bearded inside. Flowering occurs between March and August and the fruit is an elliptic drupe 4.4–6.0 mm long.

Taxonomy and naming
Styphelia deserticola was first formally described in 2020 by Michael Hislop in the journal Swainsona from specimens collected in the Great Victoria Desert in 2010. The specific epithet (deserticola) means "desert-inhabitant".

Distribution and habitat
This styphelia grows in the Great Victoria Desert and areas further east in the Coolgardie and Great Victoria Desert bioregions of inland Western Australia.

Conservation status
Styphelia deserticola is classified as "Priority Two" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.