Plants of
South Australia
Sclerolaena articulata
Amaranthaceae
Jointed Poverty-bush,
Jointed Bindyi
Display all 6 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: 3

Prior names

Bassia articulata

Common names

Jointed Poverty-bush

Jointed Bindyi

Etymology

'Sclerolaena' from the Greek skleros, meaning hard; and chlaina, meaning covering; referring to the hard fruiting perianth covering the seed.

Distribution and status

Native with few records from South Australia
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges, Eastern
NRM region: South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Small rounded shrub to 0.4 m high, glabrous except for the woolly-pilose leaf axils. Slender leaves, 5-15 mm long. Fruiting perianth hard, erect and appressed to the branch; attachment very oblique. Fruits are hard fruiting perianth with 3 spines, spreading or recurved, slender, 2.5-5 mm long. Seeds are ellipsoid to circular, brown, convex seed Seed embryo type is periferal

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between August and September. Collect fruits when mature, check that well developed seed is present by dissecting some fruits before making a collection. Use gloves to protect from the spines. Shake or strip fruits into a vessel. Separate fruit from other plant material using a sieve.