Cryptandra myriantha
Cryptandra myriantha is a small flowering shrub in the Rhamnaceae family, native to southern mainland Australia. It grows as a slender, upright or spreading plant 10–60 cm tall, with branchlets that have no spines. The leaves are narrow and cylindrical, about 2–5 mm long and 0.5–1 mm wide, with a short stalk and small egg-shaped stipules at the base. The upper leaf surface is smooth, and the underside has tiny pimples.
Flowers are creamy-white to pink and appear alone or in small groups (up to 10) on short stalks. They have brown, egg-shaped bracts at the base. The bell-shaped floral tube is white and about 1.5–2.5 mm long; the sepals are 1–2 mm long and softly hairy, and the petals are 0.7–1 mm long. It flowers from May to September.
Taxonomy: Cryptandra myriantha was first described in 1904 by Ludwig Diels from specimens collected near Moora. The name myriantha means “countless-flowered.”
Habitat and distribution: this plant grows in sandy and gravelly soils across several south-west Western Australian bioregions (Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain) and also occurs in south-east South Australia. In Victoria, it is known from only one collection (Little Desert, 1979).
Conservation status: in Western Australia it is not considered threatened. In Victoria, it is listed as critically endangered under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:42 (CET).