Flowers and leaves. Photo: Don Wood, planted at Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Ripe fruit and leaves. Photo: William Archer, Esperance, WA

Shrub. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Shrub. Photo: Don Wood, planted at Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Dillon Bush; Nitrebush

Family

Zygophyllaceae

Notes

Shrub to 2m tall.  Small branches sometimes spiny.  Leaves in in whorls of 3-6, 1-4cm long, flat, initially hairy, becoming hairless, often glaucous, with smooth edges, and pointed tips.  Flowers white to cream, with 5, occasionally 6 petals.  Flowers with bisexual flowers, or with male and female flowers on the one plant. Sometimes male, female, and bisexual flowers on the same plant.  Flowers in groups, the stalks arising from the bases of the leaves. Fruit yellow, red, or purple.  Family Nitrariaceae in NSW.

Description and photos in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 437

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Nitraria~billardierei