Family:
CHENOPODIACEAE
Sclerolaena brachyptera
Short-winged Copperburr
Other Names: Short-winged Saltbush, Hairy Bassia, Short-spined Copperburr
Regional Subspecies:
n/a
HABIT:
Short, ascending, hairy, short-lived perennial. Twice as wide as high, with crowded linear leaves. Fruit has a regular 5-angled wing at the top (Sep-Dec).
HABITAT & SITE PREFERENCE:
Variable, common in Bladder Saltbush communities on clay soils. Prefers 300 – 450 mm rainfall in the Riverina.
SEED COLLECTION & PROPAGATION:
Propagate from seed.
VALUES & USES:
Colonises bare scalds and clay pans. Woolly habit traps seed and soil, aiding in soil erosion control.