Stems. Photo by sunphlo, Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, SA

Plant. Photo by sunphlo, Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, SA

Plants. Photo by sunphlo, Aldinga Scrub Conservation Park, SA

Common Name

Twiggy Stinkweed

Family

Rubiaceae

Notes

Shrub or perennial forb to 35cm tall.  Smells foetid.  Leaves opposite each other, 0.2-1.5cm long, 1-3mm wide, linear to narrow and flat, hairless to hairy or rough, margins strongly curved under, with pointed, often hooked, tips.  Male and female flowers on separate plants.  Flowers small (less than 3mm across), white, tubular, with 4-5 tiny 'petals', in hemispherical  heads composed of 3-9 flowers, heads single or in pairs at the bases of the leaves.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 622

PlantNET description with line drawings:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Opercularia~turpis