Pityrodia salviifolia R.Br.

Brown, R. (1810) Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae : 513. Type: Northern Australia, R. Brown; holo: BM?.

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-2.5 m tall.

Leaf blades about 8 x 1.2 cm, very aromatic when crushed. Leaf blade arched between the lateral veins on the upper surface of the leaf blade. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade clothed in stellate hairs. Small shiny yellow glands visible on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces.

Flowers sessile or shortly pedicellate in axillary clusters of about 5-10. Outer surface of the calyx clothed in stellate hairs, scales and yellow glands, lobes about 2.5-5 x 1.5-2.5 mm, tube about 2-3 mm long. Corolla, scarcely exceeding the calyx, about 5-6 mm long, two-lipped, the middle lobe of the lower lip largest, about 3 x 2 mm, other lobes about 2-2.5 x 1.5 mm. Outer surface of the corolla lobes sparsely clothed in stellate hairs. Stamens included or scarcely exceeding the corolla. Lower stamens with an appendage on the lower end of each anther locule. The upper stamens without such appendages. Ovary green, clothed in white hairs. Style included or scarcely exceeding the corolla.

Fruits largely enclosed in the persistent calyx which is clothed in minute yellow glands and peltate scales with fimbriate margins. Basal part of the fruit enclosed in a cream or translucent fleshy disk. Fruit dividing into two 2-celled nutlets. Embryo with oily endosperm. Cotyledons wider than the radicle.

Cotyledons about 6 x 3 mm, petioles about 1.5 mm long. First pair of leaves with hairs on both the upper and lower surfaces. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade bullate (all veins depressed on the upper surface). Both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade clothed in simple erect hairs and stalked stellate hairs. Petioles and stems densely clothed in stalked stellate hairs. Seed germination time 370 to 378 days.

Endemic to Queensland, occurs in NEQ, CEQ and southwards to coastal central Queensland. Altitudinal range from 500-1150 m. Usually grows in wet sclerophyll forest but sometimes found in open forest and also on rain forest margins.