Long-leaf wax-flower

Appearance

"Philotheca myoporoides" is a species of shrub that typically grows to a height of 2 m. The leaves are sessile, oblong to broadly egg-shaped, glandular-warty, papery to leathery, 15–110 mm long and 4–20 mm wide with a prominent midrib. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups of up to eight, in leaf axils on a peduncle up to 20 mm long, each flower on a pedicel 1–10 mm long. The sepals are broadly triangular, about 1 mm long and 1.5–2 mm wide and the petals are white to pink, about 8 mm long with a prominent keel. Flowering mainly occurs in spring and autumn and the fruit is about 7 mm long with a beak about 3 mm long.

Distribution

Subspecies "acuta" grows on rocky sandstone hills from Lockhart to near Cobar. Subspecies "brevipedunculata" is found coastal areas to mountain summits between Sassafras and Moruya in south-eastern New South Wales. Subspecies "euroensis" grows among granite boulders on the Strathbogie Ranges near Euroa in north-eastern Victoria. Subspecies "myoporoides" grows in forest and heathland, usually near watercourses, mostly along the Great Dividing Range from the northern border of New South Wales to near Healesville in Victoria. Subspecies "petraea" is only known from rocky areas on Mount Stewart, west of Gelantipy in north-eastern Victoria.

Cultural

The species is well adapted to cultivation, and plants are commercially available at nurseries in Australia.
The species prefers a well-drained position in light shade. Established plants tolerate both dry periods and moderate frost. Plants may be propagated from semi-mature cuttings, though some forms are slow to take root.