Leafless Bluebush,
Cotton-bush
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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
Display IBRA region text
Fleurieu (KAN02) | Kanmantoo | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU D2) (Probable Decline) [edge of range; small pop at Cape Jervis] |
Mount Lofty Ranges (FLB01) | Flinders Lofty Block | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii); D2) (Probable Decline) [edge of range; in flood-out areas, clay pans] |
Broughton (FLB02) | | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
Olary Spur (FLB03) | | Least Concern |
Southern Flinders (FLB04) | | Least Concern |
Northern Flinders (FLB05) | | Least Concern |
Central Flinders (FLB06) | | Least Concern |
St Vincent (EYB02) | Eyre Yorke Block | Least Concern (Probable Decline) |
Eyre Hills (EYB03) | | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii)) (Probable Decline) [highly localised, prefers fresh water] |
Eyre Mallee (EYB05) | | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii)) (Probable Decline) [highly localised, prefers fresh water] |
South Olary Plain (MDD01) | Murray Darling Depression | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii)) (Probable Decline) [habitat specific] |
Murray Mallee (MDD02) | | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii)) (Definite Decline) [habitat specific] |
Braemer (MDD07) | | Least Concern |
Myall Plains (GAW01) | Gawler | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU B2ab(i,ii,iii)) (Definite Decline) [highly localised, prefers fresh water] |
Gawler Volcanics (GAW02) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
Gawler Lakes (GAW03) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) (Probable Decline) [limited habitat] |
Arcoona Plateau (GAW04) | | Least Concern |
Kingoonya (GAW05) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) |
Torrens (GAW06) | | Least Concern |
Roxby (GAW07) | | Least Concern |
Commonwealth Hill (GAW08) | | Least Concern |
Barrier Range (BHC01) | Broken Hill Complex | Least Concern |
Barrier Range Outwash (BHC04) | | Least Concern |
Bimbowrie (BHC05) | | Least Concern |
Curnamona (BHC06) | | Least Concern |
Simpson Desert (SSD02) | Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields | Least Concern |
Dieri (SSD03) | | Least Concern |
Warriner (SSD04) | | Least Concern |
Strzelecki Desert (SSD05) | | Least Concern |
Breakaways (STP01) | Stony Plains | Least Concern |
Oodnadatta (STP02) | | Least Concern |
Murnpeowie (STP03) | | Least Concern |
Peake-Dennison Inlier (STP04) | | Least Concern |
Macumba (STP05) | | Least Concern |
Witjira (STP06) | | Least Concern |
Baltana (STP07) | | Least Concern |
Sturt Stony Desert (CHC02) | Channel Country | Least Concern |
Diamantina-Eyre (CHC04) | | Least Concern |
Coongie (CHC06) | | Least Concern |
Lake Pure (CHC07) | | Least Concern |
Mann-Musgrave Block (CER01) | Central Ranges | Least Concern |
Everard Block (CER03) | | Least Concern |
Tieyon (FIN03) | Finke | Least Concern |
Fleurieu (KAN02) | Kanmantoo | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU D2) (Probable Decline) [edge of range; small pop at Cape Jervis] |
6 of 6 subregions | Flinders Lofty Block | Least Concern , Vulnerable |
3 of 5 subregions | Eyre Yorke Block | Least Concern , Vulnerable |
3 of 6 subregions | Murray Darling Depression | Least Concern , Vulnerable |
8 of 8 subregions | Gawler | Least Concern , Rare , Vulnerable |
4 of 4 subregions | Broken Hill Complex | Least Concern |
4 of 4 subregions | Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields | Least Concern |
7 of 7 subregions | Stony Plains | Least Concern |
4 of 4 subregions | Channel Country | Least Concern |
2 of 3 subregions | Central Ranges | Least Concern |
Tieyon (FIN03) | Finke | Least Concern |
Botanical art
Kath Alcock paintings: 2
Prior names
Kochia villosa var. aphylla
Salsola aphylla
Kochia aphylla
Common names
Leafless Bluebush
Cotton-bush
Etymology
Maireana, named after Charles Antoine Lemaire (1800�71), a French self-taught botanist and professor of botany at Ghent. Aphylla, from the Greek 'a', meaning without and 'phyllon,' meaning leaf, referring to leaf-less stems.
Distribution and status
Most commonly found in periodically waterlogged clay soils in the Arid Lands, Murraylands, Mid and Lower North regions of South Australia. Recorded in all mainland States. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the others States.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Branched shrub 0.5-2 m high, predominantly dioecious; branchlets striate, almost glabrous to somewhat woolly, often spiny; leaves small, alternate, 1-4 rarely to 8 mm long; sparsely to densely woolly; very shortly spurred at the base. Flowers and fruits from June to September in the North and January to July in the South. Fruits are fruiting perianth straw-coloured and papery when dry; tube hemispherical to turbinate, 1-2 mm high; wing simple, horizontal, c. 8 mm diameter, with a single radial slit; upper perianth sparsely woolly. Seeds are ellipsoid to circular, brown, convex seed. Seed embryo type is peripheral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and September. Collect dry papery fruits. Check that well developed seed is present before making a collection. Shake or strip fruits into a vessel. Remove twigs and other plant material
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature | BGA | 910 (4.197 g) | | 3-Mar-2023 | J.Casley-Smith Southern Lofty | 20-Jun-2023 | 68% | -18°C |
BGA | 1,600 (7.040 g) | | 3-Mar-2023 | J.Casley-Smith Southern Lofty | 20-Jun-2023 | 60% | -18°C |
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.