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Enchylaena Saltbush ID
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Posted by cherax Syd NSW Aust (My Page) on Fri, Jun 8, 07 at 2:06
Hello all
I recently came across a salt bush outside alice springs that closely resembled Enchylaena tomentosa - Ruby Saltbush with the exception that the fruit were all dark pink-magenta (edible) and the bush was quite spiny. Anyone got any idea what sort of saltbush it is?
Many thanks Andrew |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Enchylaena Saltbush ID
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Aren't Enchylaena tomentosa fruit normally dark pink-magenta (and edible)? I think that's how you'd describe the fruit on mine, though I know there are E. tomentosa with a more upright growth habit than my sprawling plants, and with orange fruits, which grow west of here (Toowoomba). I think it's a pretty variable plant. I don't think you'd call any of them spiny, though.
What sort of spiny, Andrew? Do you mean actual thorns / prickles, or just that it has rather pokey branches like the hedge saltbush, Einadia spinescens? This one does have have little red fruits rather like E. tomentosa. Maybe your plant is some kind of Einadia?
Trish |
RE: Enchylaena Saltbush ID
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- Posted by cherax Syd NSW Aust (My Page) on
Fri, Jun 8, 07 at 22:26
Hi Trish
tahnks for your thoughts. I had a bit of a scrounge around searching and looking at Einada spp. I do not think that fits the bill. As usual, I wish I had taken a photo.! It was just like tomentosa with the exception that all berries were consist colour and that it was quite thorny. Not as prostrate as tomentosa. You had to watch out for the spines when collecting the fruit.
Many thanks, I will work on it
Andrew |
RE: Enchylaena Saltbush ID
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| Could be just a sub-species or variant of Enchylaena tormentosa. After all we have populations of Bursaria spinosa around Melbourne that are unusually thornless. |
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