Isotoma petraea

Rock isotome
Scientific classification
Ambiguous taxon:	[[Wikipedia:Automated taxobox system/taxonomy templates#Title conventions|Do not use this template Please use [[Template:Taxonomy/{{{name}}} (plant)|{{{name}}} (plant)]] or [[Template:Taxonomy/{{{name}}} (springtail)|{{{name}}} (springtail)]]]]
Species:	I. petraea
Binomial name
Isotoma petraea F.Muell.

Isotoma petraea, commonly known as rock isotome, is a small, herbaceous plant in the family Campanulaceae occurring in arid regions of Australia. It has single, purplish-blue flowers on smooth, slender branches from February to November.

Description

Isotope petraea is an erect, spreading, perennial or annual herbaceous plant with smooth branches that typically grows to a height of 0.2 to 0.6 metres (0.7 to 2.0 ft). The smooth leaves are narrowly egg-shaped to elliptic, 3–7.5 cm (1.2–3.0 in) long, 1–3.5 cm (0.39–1.38 in) wide, petiolate on lower sections sessile toward the branch apex, sharply lobed, unevenly spaced teeth and ending in a point. The blue-purplish flowers are borne singly on a wiry peduncle 8–25 cm (3.1–9.8 in) long. The calyces are narrow-triangular, pointed, 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long, corolla is mostly white and may have a flush of purplish-blue, a light green floral tube 14–20 mm (0.55–0.79 in) long with prominent veins. The smooth petals are lance-oblong shaped 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) long and tapering sharply to a point. The fruit are rounded, slightly ribbed and 12–22 mm (0.47–0.87 in) long. Flowering occurs mostly in summer.

Distribution and habitat

It is found on breakways, among rocky outcrops and in rock crevices in the Mid West, Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia where it grows in shallow sandy soils over granite.