Pimelea linifolia (slender rice flower)

Japanese name: ピメレア リニフォリア
Scientific name: Pimelea linifolia

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub whose stems creep or stand erect up to 1.5 m tall.
The stems are hairless.
The leaves are simple and opposite, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 0.3–4 cm long and 0.1–0.9 cm wide, with an entire margin.
A head-like inflorescence at the branch tip bears 7–60 flowers in a hemispherical cluster.
At the base of the inflorescence are 4, sometimes 8, lanceolate to narrowly ovate bracts, 0.7–1.7 cm long and 0.3–1.1 cm wide.
The flowers are white, sometimes pink, with no petals but a corolla-like calyx.
The corolla is usually tubular, 1–2 cm long, with a 4-lobed tip.
There are bisexual flowers and female flowers, the female flowers being shorter.
There are 2 stamens, and the style of the pistil protrudes out of the flower.
The fruit is drupe-like, 0.3–0.5 cm long and green, enclosed at the base of the receptacle tube.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
It can overwinter outdoors in regions without frost.
It dislikes heat and humidity.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated place, but it is better moved to bright shade in summer.
Take care not to overwater; for potted plants, water thoroughly after the soil has dried, and for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
In spring and autumn, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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