Suaeda australis
(R.Br.) Moq. Austral Sea-bliteErect or rounded perennial, to c. 0.7 m high, glabrous, bright green, yellowish or red-tinted. Leaves linear, trigonous in section or subterete, or narrowly obovoid, acute or obtuse, mostly 7–20(–50) mm long, 1–3.5 mm wide. Flowers bisexual (or rarely female), in axillary clusters; perianth lobed from below midway; anthers c. 0.7 mm long. Fruiting perianth slightly succulent but not inflated, depressed-globular, to c. 2 mm diam.; seed horizontal, lenticular, rounded dorsally, (1–)1.5–1.8 mm diam., testa black or dark reddish-brown, shining, essentially smooth at x20 magnification, falling free from pericarp. Flowers mostly Oct.–Mar.
Wim, GleP, Brid, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, CVU, EGL, WPro, OtR. Also WA, SA, Qld, NSW, Tas. Common fringing coastal and estuarine saltmarsh or brackish swamps, localized further inland where noted from Lake Corangamite and Natimuk districts.
A very variable species, possibly incorporating several taxa; chief differences appear to be in habit and length and relative thickness of leaves.
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Chenopodiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 129–199. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
