#ptilotus

Ptilotus rotundifolius

This little plant is notable for its felted gray leaves and its feathery heads of purplish-pink tubular flowers. It comes from the winter-rainfall region in Western Australia, and it belongs to the Amaranth Family.

Ptilotus exaltatus

05-SEP-2025

Another of the Ptilotus species around Wongan Hills, although this one is better known for having much more exuburant flower heads - they're practically stunted, here. Grown as a drought-tolerant ornamental.

Found in the drier parts of all mainland states, in a variety of habitats, and surprisingly tolerant of high-phosphorus soils. Far more Australian plants suffer from phosphorus toxicity under such conditions.

Named for the feathery flowers and the spoon-shaped leaves.

Another Australian amaranth, found across swathes of the southern states, including Tasmania. Widespread and locally common in drier, semi-fertile plains country, confined to loamy soils of swales and depressions in dune-mallee areas. In this case it was growing in laterite soil. Unlike other better-known Ptilotus, this one stays close to the ground.