Maireana obrienii N.G.Walsh APNI* Description: Perenial shrub with stout fusiform taproot to at leat 3 cm in diam. and 50 cm long. Branches more or less erect, to 80 cm high. Stems striate, reddish, glabrous except for conspicuous white tufts of hairs in axils.
Mature plants with leaves ovoid to clavate, 3–10 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, glaucous. Juvenile plants have longer leaves to 22 mm long.
Fruiting perianth glabrous, or the tepals sparcely ciliate at apices, wing 10–12 mm diam., quite flat, margin entire to shallowly and irregularly sinuate, no lobing, entire to shallowly and irregularly sinuate, nearly white to pale green when young with a rosy marginal rim, finally grey-brown with blackish veins. Thickened central part of fruit 3.5–4.5 mm diam. Urticle 2.5–3.5 mm daim.
Flowering: Flowers and fruits in December to May, mostly in autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Confined to the Riverina region occurring in an arc from near Jeralderie in south central NSW and west to near Serpentine in Victoria. Grassland and open woodland occurring on hard setting clays.
NSW subdivisions: SWP
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Walsh, N. (2013) Maireana obrienii (Chenopodiaceae), a new species from eastern Australia.Muelleria Vol 3, p61-64
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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