Plants of
South Australia
Atriplex suberecta
Amaranthaceae
Lagoon Saltbush,
Sprawling Saltbush
Display all 14 images
Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
Enlarge Map
•
Copy Map
Copy Map
Display IBRA region text

Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 11

Common names

Lagoon Saltbush

Sprawling Saltbush

Etymology

Atriplex from the Latin 'atriplexum' meaning an orache, a saltbush; an Ancient Latin name for this plant. Suberecta from the Greek 'sub' a prefix meaning partially and Latin 'erectus' meaning erect or upright, referring to its semi-erect habit.

Distribution and status

Found scattered across much of South Australia except in the north-west, growing along the coast and around lakes and dams. Also found in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Tasmania. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Decumbent to sprawling monoecious herb to 60 cm high. Leaves thin, narrowly to broadly rhomboid to 30 mm long, coarsely serrate, upper surface glabrescent, lower surface somewhat scurfy. Male flowers in clusters, female flowers in axillary clusters. Flowering throughout the year. Fruits are brown rhomboid fruit to 5 mm long, flat, joined in the lower half, thin or somewhat thickened with age, scurfy-pubescent, margin entire in the lower half, 2-4-toothed in the upper half. Seed embryo type is peripheral.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between January and December. Collect fruits that are starting to dry or and turn brown. Fruits can be collected directly from the bush or from the ground underneath. Place the fruits in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. No cleaning is required if only the fruits are collected. The seed can be stored in the fruit or can be cleaned further. Rub the fruit gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
 
MSB
9,200 (10.24 g)		100+1-Feb-2007DJD759
Murray
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.
We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.