Short-leaf Bluebush
Structure / Green Head
Ellura
Short-leaf Bluebush
Leaves & Stem
 
                      
Short-leaf Bluebush (Maireana brevifolia)Class: Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida)
Order: Betalains (Caryophyllales)
Family: Goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Short-leaf Bluebush (Maireana brevifolia)
This Photo:     New Branch Forming
Synonyms: Enchylaena tamariscina, Kochia brevifolia or Kochia tamariscina
Other names: Cottonbush, Small Leaf Bluebush or Yanga Bush

Thank you Dr Kym Nicolson for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
On the whole a very straggly plant.
But the prominent green heads / tops, with red branches are quite pretty.
Flowers are almost invisible. Like most Maireana's; the fruit looks more like a flower and is quite beautiful.
The new fruits have a beautiful red edge to the wings.

Copyright © 2013-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 17-Jun-2013
This species is classed as LC (Least Concern) in the Murray Mallee, SA, by DENR (Regional Species Status Assessments, July 2010)