Ptilotus

Ptilotus
Ptilotus obovatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Ptilotus R.Br.
Species
See List of Ptilotus species
Synonyms
Dipteranthemum F.Muell. Trichinium R.Br.

Ptilotus is a genus of mostly perennial herbs or shrubs in the family Amaranthaceae. The species are all native to drier areas of mainland Australia, although one also occurs in Tasmania and another in Malesia on the islands of Flores and Timor. Common names for species in this genus include mulla mulla, pussy tails and lamb's tails. The genus was first formally described by botanist Robert Brown in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae in 1810.

Ptilotus is a large genus with over 100 species.

Species include:

• Ptilotus caespitulosus F.Muell. – salt lake mulla mulla
• Ptilotus calostachyus (F.Muell.) F.Muell. – weeping mulla mulla
• Ptilotus clementii (Farmar) Benl – tassel top
• Ptilotus declinatus Nees – curved mulla mulla
• Ptilotus divaricatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. – climbing mulla mulla
• Ptilotus drummondii (Moq.) F.Muell. – narrowleaf mulla mulla
• Ptilotus exaltatus Nees – tall mulla mulla, showy foxtail
• Ptilotus helipteroides (F.Muell.) F.Muell. – hairy mulla mulla
• Ptilotus leucocomus (Moq.) F.Muell. – small purple foxtail
• Ptilotus macrocephalus (R.Br.) Poir. – green pussytails, featherheads, tall mulla mulla
• Ptilotus manglesii (Lindl.) F.Muell – pom poms
• Ptilotus nobilis (Lindl.) F.Muell. – yellowtails, regal foxtail
• Ptilotus obovatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. – smoke bush, cotton bush, silver bush, silver mulla mulla, silver-tails, white fox tail, goldfield clover
• Ptilotus polystachyus (Gaudich.) F.Muell. – Prince of Wales feather
• Ptilotus rotundifolius (F.Muell.) F.Muell. – royal mulla mulla
• Ptilotus spathulatus (R.Br.) Poir. – pussy tails
• Ptilotus stirlingii (Lindl.) F.Muell. – Stirling's mulla mulla

References

• "Ptilotus". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 2008-02-04. 
• "Ptilotus". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. 
• "Ptilotus". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust. Retrieved 2008-02-03. 
• "Ptilotus". Electronic Flora of South Australia Fact Sheet. State Herbarium of South Australia. 
• Society for Growing Australian Plants Maroondah, Inc. (1991). Flora of Melbourne. Society for Growing Australian Plants Maroondah, Inc. ISBN 0-909830-42-8. 
• Davis, Robert. "Mulla mulla, feathered delights". Landscope. Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation. 25 (4, winter 2008): 6–8. 

Further reading

• Hammer, T., Davis, R., & Thiele, K. (2015). A molecular framework phylogeny for Ptilotus (Amaranthaceae): Evidence for the rapid diversification of an arid Australian genus. Taxon 64(2): 272-285.