Botanical art
Prior names
Echinopsilon carnosus
Chenolea carnosa
Bassia lanuginosa
Bassia carnosa
Kochia carnosa
Common names
Cottony Bluebush
Etymology
'Maireana', after the 19th century French botanist, Adolphe Lemaire and 'carnosa', meaning fleshy.
Distribution and status
Recorded from the central northern area of the State, usually around salt lakes. Native; several records from South Australia but more commonly found in Western Australia. Also recorded in Northern Territory and less commonly in Queensland.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Murray
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect perennial shrub to 30 cm high; branches woody at the base. Fleshy leaves to 10 mm; long, woolly or silky to almost glabrous. Flowers densely woolly, spirally arranged in dense leafy spikes. Flowering August to October Fruits are fruiting perianth sessile; covered in wool, to 8 mm diameter. Narrow, horizontal wing, with a single radial split. Seeds are ellipsoid to circular, convex brown seed Seed embryo type is peripheral
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between August and October. Collect dry fruits. Check that they contain well developed seeds 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 | 4,000 (35.09 g) | 30+ | 5-Oct-2010 | DJD1943 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 95% | -18°C |
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.