Small-leaf Microcybe
Structure in Bud
Ellura
Small-leaf Microcybe
Bud, leaves, flower & stem
 
                      
Small-leaf Microcybe (Microcybe multiflora ssp multiflora)Class: Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida)
Order: Soapberries (Sapindales)
Family: Citrus (Rutaceae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Small-leaf Microcybe (Microcybe multiflora ssp multiflora)
This Photo:     Structure in Seed
Other name: Red Microcybe

Thank you Dr Marco Duretto for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA) and elsewhere
A small, woody, round, dark green bush.
The cream & white compound flowers, at the end of stems, make the bush look very attractive in spring. Then in summer it takes on classy rustic red tones.
The "red" must surely refer to the seed heads when it's finished flowering.
The leaves are small, giving the stems a conifer look about them.
The seed pods are so small they are barely visible with the naked eye.

Exploration of Ellura has uncovered some amazing surprises. The unique & diverse way our natives survive & propagate is enthralling. Take for example the tiny seeds here. Each one delicately wrapped and grown in it's own clam shell pod; then ejected into the world hoping for a suitable place to germinate.

Copyright © 2012-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 05-Dec-2012
This species is classed as RA (Rare) in the Murray Mallee, SA, by DENR (Regional Species Status Assessments, July 2010)