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Synonyms: Rulingia salviifolia (Hook. ex Steetz) Benth. APNI*

Description: Shrub 2–4 m high with a close whitish tomentum.

Leaves scarcely discolorous, linear to narrowly ovate, mostly 5–10 cm long, 15–30 mm wide, margins entire or almost so; upper surface smooth, with dense or velvety, stellate hairs above smaller stellate hairs and with or without occasional, white, clavate glandular trichomes, lower surface densely white-tomentose, with sessile, stellate hairs above smaller stellate hairs, glandular trichomes absent, apex acute; petiole 5–10 mm long. Juvenile shoots often with strongly tri lobed leaves 5–11 cm long, 20–50 mm wide.

Inflorescence cymes, few-flowered, usually longer than petioles. Calyx 3–5.3 mm long. Petals absent or <3 mm long, white or cream, ligule up to 1.7 mm long.

Capsule 5–9.5 mm diam., outer surface with dense, smaller white, stellate hairs beneath dense bristles throughout surface or mainly towards the apex of the fruit; shaft with scattered hairs with 2–6 arms; apical hair with 4–6 white, erect and horizontal arms.

Flowering: July to November. Fruits summer.

Distribution and occurrence: Occurs from the Buderim district in Queensland to Mount Warning in northern New South Wales.

Grows on mountain tops, at the base of cliffs or on volcanic rock outcrops in eucalyptus open forest, low shrubland or montane heath, in shallow sandy soil, often above trachyte or rhyolite. Recorded as abundant after fire. Commersonia salviifolia appears to be widespread from recorded localities.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld

AVH map***

Closely related to C. prostrata, which forms a prostrate mat, and has ovate or scarcely trilobed leaves <4 cm long. Differs from C. dasyphylla, which has fruit with near-glabrous bristles scattered throughout.