Flowers and fruiting bodies (f. pterocarpa). Photo: Michelle Brown, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Fruiting stems (f. pterocarpa). Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Flowering plant (f. pterocarpa). Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Fruiting plant (f. pterocarpa). Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Leaves (f. pterocarpa). Photo: Michelle Brown, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Toothed Raspwort, Mulga Cabbage, Mulga Nettle, Mulga Spinach

Family

Haloragaceae

Notes

Annual forb to 1m tall, arising from a strongly developed taproot.  Leaves more or less opposite at the extreme base, then alternating up the stems, 4.5-8cm long, 7-25mm wide, flat, hairy, toothed, usually with pointed tips.  Leaf-like bracts below the flower clusters 0.3-0.65cm long, 0.8-2mm wide, entire or toothed.  Flowers often small (less than 3mm across) yellowish green, with 4 petals, in groups of 3-15 flowers in interrupted spikes at the ends of the stems subtended by leaflike bracts, and at the bases of the upper leaves.  Fruiting bodies red.

In Haloragis odontocarpa f. odontocarpa the body of the fruiting body has tooth-like appendages about 1.5mm long projecting below the sepals.  

In  Haloragis odontocarpa f. pterocarpa the fruiting body is winged. 

In Haloragis odontocarpa f. rugosa the body of the fruiting body is smooth or wrinkled below the sepals, with no wings or appendages.

Description in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 537

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