Maireana eriosphaera

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Maireana eriosphaera
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Maireana
Species:
M. eriosphaera
Binomial name
Maireana eriosphaera

Maireana eriosphaera is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae, and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect, loosely branched, perennial herb with a woody base, linear to narrowly oblong leaves, bisexual flowers arranged singly in dense spikes on the ends of branches, and a hemispherical, top-shaped fruiting perianth densely covered with silky wool and with a narrow, fan-shaped wing.

Contents

Description

Maireana eriosphaera is an erect, loosely branched, perennial herb that typically grows to a height of up to 30 cm (12 in) and has slender branchlets covered with woolly hairs. The leaves are linear to narrowly oblong, up to 10 mm (0.39 in) long and covered with silky hairs. Its flowers are bisexual and arranged singly along a dense spike 20–100 mm (0.79–3.94 in) long on the ends of branches. The fruiting perianth is on a thin pedicel 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) long and densely covered with long, silky wool forming a soft ball about 10 mm (0.39 in) in diameter and has a thin tube 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) high with a very narrow horizontal wing. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Maireana eriosphaera was first formally described in 1975 by Paul Wilson in the journal Nuytsia from specimens he collected in the upper Rudall River area in 1971. [3] [5] The specific epithet (eriosphaera) means 'wool ball', referring to the fruiting perianth. [6]

Distribution and habitat

This species of Maireana grows in clay at the base of breakaways and near salt lakes between the Rudall River and Norseman in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Murchison, Pilbara and Yalgoo bioregions of Western Australia. [3] [4]

Conservation status

Maireana eriosphaera is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [4]

References

  1. ↑ "Maireana eriosphaera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  2. ↑ Wilson, Paul G. "Maireana eriosphaera". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Wilson, Paul G. (1975). "A Taxonomic Revision of the genus Maireana (Chenopodiaceae)". Nuytsia. 2 (1): 29. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "Maireana eriosphaera". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  5. ↑ "Maireana eriosphaera". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  6. ↑ George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 196. ISBN   9780645629538.
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