Australia So Much to See

Sources used for identification of wildflowers including Aboriginal names shown on these pages, and regions where they occur, are listed under Credits

These pages will feature some of the wildflowers we have photographed in Western Australia, and where possible, identified. If you are able to help identify further flowers, or correct any I may have wrong, please contact us.

Information given for each species will give botanical name, known common names, describe the flower, give time of year it was seen, where it was photographed, and the areas it occurs in. Names have been matched to Florabase which has also been used to show distribution.

See some of these wildflowers in larger sized photos on our Flickr pages.

Home > Lists and Links > Nature in Australia > Alphabetical Wildflower Index > Wildflowers M-1b

Maireana integra, Entire-wing Bluebush. Identification not certain.

This species has the entire upper area of the perianth covered in hairs, and it has no slits in the wing. Leaves are lightly hairy, semi-cylindrical, five to fourteen millimetres long and have a rounded leaf tip. Shrubs grow up to one metre high.

These photos, taken in August, may not be Maireana integra, which occurs in some locations in the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Goldfields regions.

Maireana triptera, Three-winged Bluebush, Three-wing Bluebush.

This shrub can grow to seventy centimetres in height and is glabrous (basically hairless). Leaves are almost terete (cylindrical), succulent, and up to three centimetres long, terminating with a point. Branchlets are smooth (hairless) and have red and green stripes down their length. Wings may be green, yellow or pink, and dry to a dark brown or black. Turbinate (funnel shaped) tube mostly five perpendicular wings attached and fused to the horizontal wing which has no slit.

August

Lake Douglas, Kalgoorlie, Goldfields region, Western Australia, and found in in areas of the Pilbara, inland Gascoyne, Mid West and northern Goldfields regions, and in a few Kimberley region locations.

Maireana trichoptera, Hairy Fruit Bluebush, Pink-seeded Bluebush, Downy Bluebush, Spike Bluebush.

A small shrub to fifty centimetres tall with flowers along the straight hairy stems, one at each leaf base. The upper surface of the fruiting body pink to red around a green centre, with a single hair covered horizontal wing with one slit. Succulent and hairy leaves are half to one centimetre long and one and a half to two millimetres wide, with blunt tips which may be tinged with pink.

August

Photographed at Westonia and at Moorine Rock in the eastern Wheatbelt, and at Lake Douglas, Kalgoorlie and south of Menzies in the Goldfields region. Occurs in the Gascoyne region, inland Mid West and Wheatbelt, and the Goldfields regions.

Maireana tomentosa, Felty Bluebush, Felty leaf Bluebush. Not certain this is the correct identification as wing appears to have slits. Maireana villosa, which does have a single slit in its wing is a possible alternative, but the longer and less hairy foliage does not match as well.

Upper perianth glabrous (not hairy), or almost so. Fruit are less than fifteen millilitres across, not hairy, and have no slit on wing. Leaves and stems densely covered with short hairs. Leaves small being five to eight millimetres long.

The plant photographed was seen in August South of Leinster in the Leonora Shire, Goldfields region and is found in areas of the Pilbara, Gascoyne, Mid West and northern Goldfields regions, and in a few Kimberley region locations.

Maireana sedifolia, Pearl bluebush, Bluebush, Hoary Bluebush, Hoary Saltbush.

A compact, bluish-grey shrub which grows to 1.5 metres, often forms dense clumps of plants. Leaves are succulent, four to eight millimetres long with a rounded tip, and are covered in white hairs giving the shrub an almost white appearance. Flowers in pairs but usually only one matures. One centimetre across wing, which is fine and mostly straw coloured, turning pale brown on maturity, has one slit.

I have no photos positively confirmed as Maireana sedifolia. This occurs in areas of the inland Mid West and through the Goldfields. It is also found in other states.

Malleostemon tuberculatus (1983)

Tiny pink or white five petalled blossoms along the stems of a shrub which can grow to two and a half metres tall. Flowers typically have ten stamens, but this is variable, with many having only five, opposite the sepals, so between the petals. Stamens are bent 90 degrees at the tip. Foliage is cylindrical and has bumps along these leaves (tuberculate), terminating at the tip with a spine which is significantly hooked.

August

Seen at a number of locations in the Mid West and Wheatbelt regions, Western Australia. Found through the Mid West, inland northern Wheatbelt with a few in the southern Wheatbelt, and into the north western Goldfields regions.