Hedge Saltbush

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©Chris Lindorff CC2.5, Chris Lindorff CC2.5, Russell Best CC2.5, Russell Best CC2.5

Rhagodia spinescens


Vigorous shrub to 3 m high, widely and intricately branched, spiny, stems covered with hairs when young. Sometimes forms dense, hedge-like stands. Leaves roughly opposite, hairy, egg-shaped to triangular, to 20 mm long, with stems. Flowers mostly unisexual, in spikes with female flowers 3 mm in diameter. Fruit a deep-red or pink berry, 4-6 mm diameter.


Details
Flora Type
Chenopods
Other Common Names
Creeping Saltbush, Thorny Saltbush, Berry Saltbush
Distinctive Features

Mostly small shrub, spiny, with silvery-grey foliage and red berries.

Biology

Occurs on loams, clay loams, heavy clays, and saline soils such as lake margins and dune swales. Widespread over winter-dominated rainfall areas of arid or semi-arid country. Moderately palatable to stock but browsed readily only when other forage is scarce.

Native Status
Native
Flowering Time

Flowers are present most of year, mainly spring-summer, with fruits present mainly during the cooler months of the year

Taxonomy
Phylum
Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants)
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Rhagodia
Species
spinescens

Some plants strongly smell of trimethylamine (bad fish).


Interesting Facts
Similar Species

Extremely variable in form, from plants with triangular densely white-mealy leaves to plants with small, glistening grey-green leaves.

Native Status
Native