Spiny Rice-Flower

Pimelea spinescens is a spreading, stunted, long-lived undershrub that typically grows to a height of 5–30 cm (2.0–11.8 in). It has a deep taproot and its stems are glabrous, becoming spiny as they mature. The leaves are narrowly elliptic or elliptic, 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide. The flowers are arranged in heads of 6 to 12 surrounded by 4 elliptic, sessile, leaf-like involucral bracts 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) long and 1.5–4 mm (0.059–0.157 in) wide, male and female flowers usually on separate plants. The flowers are white, cream-coloured or yellow, the heads of male flowers erect and female heads drooping. The flower tube is 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long, the sepals 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long, and the stamens are shorter than the sepals. Flowering occurs in June and July.

Subspecies pubiflora was thought to be extinct since it had not been collected since 1901, but was rediscovered in 1980, growing in grassy woodland in the Wimmera region of Victoria. Subspecies spinescens grows mainly in grassland and open shrubland between Melbourne, Horsham and Echuca.