Pritzel, E. (1918), Species novae ex Australia centrali. Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 15(20-24): 357 [tax. nov.]

• Type: "In Australia centrali (districtu C. sec. Tate) leg. Basedow, 1903, no. 440."

Chippendale, G.M. (17 April 1972), Check List of Northern Territory Plants. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 96(4): 239 [secondary reference]

Symon, D.E. in Jessop, J.P. (ed.) (1981), Caesalpinaceae. Flora of Central Australia: 106 [taxonomic synonym]

taxonomic synonym of: Petalostylis cassioides (F.Muell.) Symon legitimate

Ross, J.H. (14 May 1986), Notes on Afzelia Sm. and Petalostylis R.Br. (Caesalpiniaceae). Muelleria 6(3&4): 214 [secondary reference]

• Neotype: "I now select the specimen P.K. Latz 883 in MEL collected 5 miles W. of Docker River Settlement in the Northern Territory as the neotype of P. spinescens."

Ross, J.H. in McCarthy, P.M. (ed.) (1998), Erythrophleum. Flora of Australia 12: 159 [taxonomic synonym]

taxonomic synonym of: Petalostylis cassioides (F.Muell.) Symon legitimate

Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria (2006), Australian Plant Census: - [secondary reference]

orthographic variant: Petalostyles spinescens E.Pritz. orth. var.

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