Philotheca verrucosa

Description

Philotheca verrucosa, commonly known as Bendigo waxflower or fairy waxflower, is a shrub in the family Rutaceae. The species is endemic to south-east Australia. It is usually up to 1.2 metres high, although heights up to 2 metres have been recorded in Gippsland. It produces white flowers from August to October in its native range. The species was first described in 1834 by French botanist Achille Richard who gave it the name Erisotemon verrucosum, later amended to Eriostemon verrucosus. It was transferred to the genus Philotheca by Paul G. Wilson in 1998. Philotheca 'Flower Girl' is a hybrid cultivar, thought to be a cross between this species and Philotheca myoporoides. It produces a profusion of light pink to white flowers during winter and spring and grows to between 1 and 2 metres high.