About Maireana pentatropis (Tate) P.G.Wilson
Maireana pentatropis (common name erect mallee bluebush) is a small, upright perennial shrub that grows up to 1.5 metres (4 feet 11 inches) tall. It has ascending branches that are densely covered in white woolly hairs. Its leaves are alternately arranged, nearly cylindrical in shape, succulent, between 7 and 15 millimetres (0.28 to 0.59 inches) long, smooth, and are occasionally short and rounded. Bisexual flowers of this species are borne individually in leaf axils. When fruiting, the perianth forms a hairless, top-shaped tube with 3 to 5 papery wings, plus a flat, horizontal wing that is 12 millimetres (0.47 inches) wide. Flowering occurs through most of the year, and the fruit turns dark brown as it ages. This plant grows on sandy soils and clay, in low-lying areas. It occurs mostly within mallee communities, and can be found in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
