Maireana pentagona
(R.H.Anderson) Paul G.Wilson Hairy BluebushProstrate or decumbent perennial; taproot long and somewhat fleshy; branches woolly, to c. 30 cm long. Leaves alternate, linear, 4–16 mm long, densely silky-hairy at least on lower surface. Flowers bisexual, the lobes obscured by a covering of dense, long, silky hairs. Fruiting perianth pentagonal to nearly circular, 2.5–4 mm diam. (not including the copious long, silky hairs), hard, concave at apex with a pentagonal ridge or platform surrounding the depression, sometimes with 5 short ridges, one radiating from each angle of the pentagon, straight sided or narrowly 5-winged around the truncate base; radicular slit not apparent. Fruits mostly Oct.–Jan.
LoM, MuM, Wim, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, Gold, CVU, NIS. Also WA, SA, NSW. In Victoria virtually confined to heavy, seasonally wet, alluvial clays of the Murray River floodplain north and west of about Kerang, but with isolated occurrences near Echuca, Bendigo Whip-stick, Bacchus Marsh and Sunbury areas (but very rare, if still present at these latter localities).
See note under Maireana ciliata.
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Chenopodiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 129–199. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
