Fruiting bodies and leaves. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Plant. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Small Saltbush

Family

Chenopodiaceae

Notes

Shrub or perennial forb to 30cm tall or prostrate to sprawling.  Leaves alternating along the stems, flat, 0.5-2cm long, scurfy, the edges entire or toothed, tips blunt.  Flowers tiny (less than 3mm across), male and female flowers on the same plant, male flowers in clusters at the bases of the upper leaves, usually with a few female flowers, female flowers in scattered clusters along the branches.

Description (page 238) and line drawing of fruiting body (page 242 Fig. 44-6) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales

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