Rusty Petals

Lasiopetalum ferrugineum is a shrub, typically up to 1 m (3.3 ft) high and 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) wide, its new growth covered with red-brown hair. The leaves are narrowly oblong to lance-shaped, 2–12 cm (0.79–4.72 in) long and 0.5–4 cm (0.20–1.57 in) wide on a petiole2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long. The upper surface of the leaves is more or less glabrous and the lower surface covered with woolly, white to rust-coloured hairs. There are prominent veins on both surfaces of the leaves. The flowers are arranged in crowded cymes of five to ten, more or less sessile flowers. The sepals are whitish, 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) long and covered with star-shaped hairs, with three bracteoles 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long at the base. The petals are reddish-brown and less than 1 mm (0.039 in) long, the anthers also reddish-brown and about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. Flowering occurs from September to November, and the fruit is a capsule about 4 mm (0.16 in) in diameter.

Rusty velvet-bush is found in sclerophyll forest and heathland and occurs from south-east Queensland through eastern New South Wales and into far-eastern Victoria. It is often a spreading shrub in more expose areas and taller in sheltered areas and gullies. It prefers sandy soils.

The flushes of rust-coloured new growth of this species have some ornamental appeal. It grows fairly readily in part-shade in the garden, and is propagated by seed or cutting.

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