Plants of
South Australia
Pimelea serpyllifolia ssp. serpyllifolia
Thymelaeaceae
Thyme Riceflower
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 2

Etymology

Greek 'pimele' fat, alluding to the fleshy cotyledons and 'serpyllifolia' having leaves like Thymus serpyllum.

Distribution and status

Scrub and woodland on calcareous soils. Native.
Herbarium regions: Nullarbor, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect dense dioecious shrub to 1.5 m, stunted or prostrate in exposed conditions. Leaves crowded, narrow-elliptic to elliptic or narrow-spathulate to spathulate, 2-13 mm long, 1-4 mm wide. Flowers in bracteate heads, male flowers 2-17 in each head, 3-4 mm long; female flowers 2-10 in each head, 3-3.75 mm long, yellow. Flowering most of the year. Fruits are fruit green, partly enclosed in hypanthium.