Family:
Chenopodiaceae
Sclerolaena divaricata
Pale Poverty-bush
Other Names: Tangled Saltbush, Roly-poly, Tangled Bassia
Regional Subspecies: n/a
Habit:
Rounded and tangled perennial to 70 cm high. Yellow, slender fruit with four spines (three spines 5-15 mm long, the fourth much smaller). Flowers year-round.
Habitat & Site Preference:
Range of vegetation communities, often in low-lying areas associated with moisture. Prefers 300 – 400 mm rainfall in the Riverina.
Seed Collection & Propagation:
Collect seed all year. Drought resistant.
Values & Uses:
Dominates degraded Bladder Saltbush communities, reducing soil erosion. Colonises scalds and eroded areas, traps soil and seed, protects seedlings.