Maireana lobiflora

Maireana lobiflora
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Maireana
Species:	M. lobiflora
Binomial name
Maireana lobiflora (F.Muell. ex Benth.) Paul G.Wilson [1]
Synonyms [1]
Kochia lobifloraF.Muell. ex Benth.

Habit west of Mutawintji

Maireana lobiflora, commonly known as lobed bluebush, ^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Chenopodiaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a prostrate or low-lying perennial herb or shrub with woolly branches, very narrowly elliptic leaves, and bisexual flowers arranged singly, the fruiting perianth with a wing with five fan-shaped lobes and erect processes.

Description

Maireana lobiflora is a prostrate or low-lying perennial herb or small shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 50 cm (20 in) and has branches covered with short, woolly hairs. Its leaves are arranged alternately, linear to very narrowly elliptic, mostly 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) long, and covered with silky hairs. The flowers are bisexual, arranged singly and covered with woolly hairs. The fruiting perianth is leathery to crusty, with a slightly convex tube, the wing horizontal, up to 10 mm (0.39 in) in diameter with five spatula-shaped to fan-shaped lobes and erect narrowly spatula-shaped to club-shaped processes up to 4 mm (0.16 in) long. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

Taxonomy

This species was first described in 1870 by George Bentham who gave it the name Kochia lobiflora in Flora Australiensis from specimens collected in New South Wales on the "high sandy banks of the Darling River on the Victorian Exploring Expedition", from an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller. ^[8] In 1975, Paul G. Wilson transferred the species to Maireana as M. lobiflora in the journal Nuytsia . ^{[3] [9]} The specific epithet (lobiflora) means 'lobe-flowered'. ^[10]

Distribution and habitat

Maireana lobiflora grows in sandy soils in low-lying areas, on river flats and on limestone in all mainly states of Australia and the Northern Territory. In Western Australia it occurs in the Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Great Sandy Desert, Hampton, Little Sandy Desert, Mallee, Murchison and Nullarbor bioregions, ^[11] in South Australia in the Broken Hill Complex, Eyre Yorke Block, Flinders Lofty Block, Gawler, Great Victoria Desert, Murray Darling Depression, Nullarbor and Stony Plains bioregions, ^[2] in the Northern Territory in the Burt Plain, Finke, Gawler, Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert, MacDonnell Ranges, Murray Darling Depression and Stony Plains bioregions, and also in Queensland, ^[12] the western Plains of New South Wales ^[5] and the far north-west of Victoria. ^[7]

References

1. "Maireana lobiflora". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
2. "Maireana lobiflora". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
3. Wilson, Paul G. (1975). "A Taxonomic Revision of the genus Maireana (Chenopodiaceae)". Nuytsia. 2 (1): 25–26. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
4. Wilson, Paul G. "Maireana lobiflora". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
5. Jacobs, Surrey W.L. "Maireana lobiflora". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
6. "Maireana lobiflora". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
7. Walsh, Neville G.; Stajsic, Val. "Maireana lobiflora". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
8. "Kochia lobiflora". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
9. "Maireana lobiflora". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
10. George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 248. ISBN   9780958034180.
11. "Maireana lobiflora". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
12. "Taxon - Maireana lobiflora". Queensland Government WildNet. Retrieved 20 July 2025.