Ricinocarpos linearifolius is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a monoecious or dioecious shrub with hairy young branchlets, linear leaves and white flowers, arranged either singly, with two to four male flowers, or a single female flower surrounded by up to three male flowers.
Ricinocarpos linearifolius is a monoecious or dioecious shrub that typically grows to a height of up to, its young branchlets densely covered with greyish-white, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are linear, long and wide on a densely hairy petiole long. The upper surface of the leaves quickly becomes glabrous and the lower surface is densely covered with silky hairs, so that only the midrib is visible. The flowers are arranged either as a single male or female flower, or as clusters of two to four male flowers, or with a single female flower surrounded by up to three male flowers. Male flowers are on a slender, densely hairy pedicel long, the sepals joined at the base and densely hairy, the sepal lobes egg-shaped, long. The petals are white and egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base to round, long and wide. Each male flower has 40 to 50 stamens. Female flowers are on a stout, hairy pedicel long, the sepal lobes egg-shaped, long and wide. The petals are white and egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, and long with smooth edges. Flowering occurs throughout the year with a peak from August to October, and the fruit is a more or less spherical capsule in diameter and covered with star-shaped hairs.[1] [2]
Ricinocarpos linearifolius was first formally described in 2007 by David Halford and Rodney Henderson in the journal Austrobaileya from specimens collected by Henderson in the northern end of the Blackdown Tableland National Park in 1987.[3] The specific epithet (linearifolius) means "linear-leaved".
This species grows in heath, woodland and open forest between Jericho, Biggenden and Inglewood in Queensland, and near Warialda in New South Wales.[1]