Darwinia ferricola

Scott River darwinia is a densely-branched shrub which grows to a height of and a width of . Its youngest branches are greenish brown and the older ones are rough due to part of the leaf bases remained after the leaves drop. The leaves are crowded on the younger branches whilst the older ones are mostly leafless. They are linear in shape, triangular in cross-section, glabrous and mostly , somewhat longer as they age. The flowers are arranged in heads of 20 to 40 flowers at the ends of the branches, the heads wide. The heads are surrounded by layers of bracts, the outer ones green or greenish-red and long and shorter than the flowers. The petal lobes are about long and wide, enclosing the stamens, staminodes and the lower part of the style. The style is often reddish and long with a ring of hairs near its tip. Flowering occurs from mainly in spring but also from late winter to early summer. ==Taxonomy==

Darwinia ferricola was first formally described in 2009 by Greg Keighery and the description was published in Nuytsia. The specific epithet (ferricola) is derived from the Latin words ferrum meaning "iron" and -cola meaning "dweller", referring to the habitat preference of this species. ==Distribution and habitat==

This darwinia is only known from the Scott Coastal Plain, east of Augusta where it grows in scrubland in sand or clay over ironstone. ==Ecology==

Scott River darwinia is killed by fire but regenerates from seed. It is pollinated by birds. ==Conservation==

Darwinia ferricola is classified as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife ==References==