Phebalium Vent., Jard. Malmaison

Duretto, Marco F., Heslewood, Margaret M. & Bayly, Michael J., 2023, Generic and infrageneric limits of Phebalium and its allies (Rutaceae: Zanthoxyloideae), Australian Systematic Botany 36 (2), pp. 107-142 : 139

Phebalium Vent., Jard. Malmaison 2: t. 102 (1805)

Eriostemon sect. Phebalium (Vent.) F.Muell., Pl. Victoria 1: 129 (1862); Crowea sect. Phebalium (Vent.) Baill., Dict. Bot. 2: 277 (1881). Type: Phebalium squamulosum Vent.

Shrubs or small trees; with stellate-lepidote hairs. Leaves alternate, simple, sessile or shortly petiolate. Inflorescence terminal, sometimes also on short lateral branches, flowers solitary or in umbels or in compact heads, pedicellate or sessile. Bracteoles at base of pedicel or flower when sessile, and usually insignificant. Calyx hemispherical to cupshaped, 5(–8)-lobed or toothed or entire, or sepals free or united below, lepidote or rarely stellate-pilose abaxially. Petals 5(–10), free, narrowly elliptic, elliptic to obovate or spathulate, white, yellow, or pink to mauve, lepidote abaxially or glabrous. Stamens 10(–16); filaments slender, terete; anthers basifixed, glandular-apiculate. Disc absent. Carpels usually 2–5(– 8 in P. nottii (F.Muell.) Maiden & Betche ), free or shortly fused at base, lepidote; apically united; style terete at base with branches arising from adaxial medial margin of carpels; stigma small with short spreading lobes; ovules 2 per carpel. Seed oblong-reniform; axial endocarp thin, caducous; aril linear; sclerotesta longitudinally rugulose; hilum linear; raphe small, shrunken.

A genus of 38 species in eastern and southern Australia, classified into 3 sections.

Key to sections

1. Carpels 5; flowers pedicellate, rarely sessile.........section Phebalium Carpels 2–4; flowers sessile..............................................................2

2. Inflorescence of 5–20 flowers................................section Microcybe Flowers solitary......................................................section Uniflorum