Kingdom Plantae Family Stylidiaceae Subgenus Tolypangium Scientific name Stylidium leptorrhizum | Order Asterales Genus Stylidium Section Debilia Rank Species | |
Similar Stylidium debile, Stylidium graminifolium, Stylidium | ||
Stylidium leptorrhizum is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the genus Stylidium (family Stylidiaceae). It is an herbaceous annual plant that grows from 8 to 25 cm tall. Oblanceolate or elliptical leaves, about 10-20 per plant, form a basal rosette with stems absent. The leaves are generally 14–60 mm long and 3-9.5 mm wide. This species produces 1-3 scapes per plant. Inflorescences are 8–25 cm long and produce pink or mauve flowers that bloom from May to August in their native range. S. leptorrhizum is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia and the Victoria River district of the Northern Territory. Its typical habitat has been reported as sandy soils along creeks or billabongs. S. leptorrhizum is most closely related to S. multiscapum. When reviewing section Debilia, Tony Bean reduced the recently described S. barrettorum to synonymy with S. leptorrhizum after examining the type specimen.