Description: Woody perennial herbs or subshrubs.
Leaves entire or lobed, narrow-linear, lanceolate to circular petiolate or sessile, exstipulate.
Inflorescence terminal, compound umbel; bracts and bracteoles small, subulate, sometimes caducous. Flowers bisexual or male, white, cream or pinkish. Sepals inconspicuous or absent. Petals elliptic to ovate, midrib keeled. Stylopodium flat or conical.
Fruit ± compressed laterally; carpophore persistent, undivided (in NSW); mericarps ovoid to ± circular, usually rough to tuberculate; narrowed at the mericarp junction.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 26 species, endemic Australia. Australia: all States except Tas.
Text by J. Hart & B.M. Wiecek
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaves less than 1 mm wide, either undivided, linear or subulate, or trifoliolate with filiform segments less than 0.5 mm wide | 2 |
| Leaves more than 1 mm wide, undivided or lobed, not 3-foliolate | 4 |
| 2 | Stems scabrous to hispid; leaves shortly petiolate | Platysace ericoides |
| Stems glabrous; leaves sessile
Back to 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Leaves 0.5–1 mm wide, undivided; inflorescence erect, peduncles to 25 mm long | Platysace linearifolia |
| Leaves less than 0.5 mm wide, often 3-foliolate with filiform segments; inflorescence lax, peduncles more than 25 mm long
Back to 2 | Platysace heterophylla |
| 4 | Leaves undivided, oblong, elliptic or oblanceolate | 5 |
| Lower leaves or all leaves deeply or shallowly 3–5-lobed
Back to 1 | 6 |
| 5 | Stems shortly pubescent; leaves narrow- to broad-elliptic or rarely oblanceolate, more than 3.5 mm wide; umbels 15–50 mm diam., with 3–11 or more rays | Platysace lanceolata |
| Stems scabrous to hispid; leaves elliptic-oblong or oblong, to 1.8 mm wide; umbels to 20 mm diam., with 3–6 rays
Back to 4 | Platysace ericoides |
| 6 | Leaves 12–20 mm long, 5–7 mm wide, with lower leaves or all leaves deeply 3–5-lobed; lobes 2–4 mm long, c. 1 mm wide; lamina scabrous; fruit bullate-tuberculate | Platysace stephensonii |
| Leaves 6–7 mm long, to 10 mm wide, fan shaped; apex rounded with a toothed margin; teeth usually 5 or more; lamina sparsely hispid or villous; fruit sparsely bristly
Back to 4 | Platysace clelandii |
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