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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or in the census. We are hoping to be able to reinstate services around December 15; we will provide an update at that time.

The notice period started at 9:00 am on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Monday, 15 December 2025 +08:00.

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Ptilotus divaricatus (Gaudich.) F.Muell.
Climbing Mulla Mulla

Reference
Fragm. (Mueller) 6:229 (1868)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Prostrate to scrambling shrub, 0.3-1.5 m high. Fl. white-cream/pink-purple, Sep to Dec. Sandy soils, laterite.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 31 August 1999
Image

Scientific Description

Shrubs or perennial herbs, stems single or several, more or less erect, glabrescent, with nodose hairs. Leaves present, 5-45 mm long, 1-5 mm wide, glabrescent or glabrous, with nodose hairs; basal rosette absent; cauline leaves alternate. Spikes white or pink, ovoid, hemispherical or spherical, clustered, with densely arranged flowers. Bracts 4-4.5 mm long, colourless, glabrous or hairy, not awned or mucronate, with a prominent midrib. Bracteoles 5.5-6.5 mm long, colourless, glabrous, not awned or mucronate, with an obscure midrib. Outer tepals 9.5-15 mm long, entire or not entire. Inner tepals 9-14.5 mm long, with a basal tuft of hairs on inner face. Style (2.5-)4-4.6 mm long, straight, obliquely fixed to ovary. Seeds 1.4-1.6 mm long, dull, orange or pale brown. Distribution: South West and Eremaean Botanical Region; IBRA regions: Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Murchison, Pilbara.

R. Davis, 30 April 2019

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Murchison, Pilbara, Swan Coastal Plain, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Ashburton, Augustus, Cape Range, Carnegie, Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Murchison, Edel, Geraldton Hills, Katanning, Lesueur Sandplain, Merredin, Northern Jarrah Forest, Perth, Roebourne, Southern Cross, Tallering, Western Murchison, Wooramel.
IMCRA Regions
Abrolhos Islands, Central West Coast, Pilbara (nearshore), Shark Bay.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, Bruce Rock, Carnarvon, Chapman Valley, Coolgardie, Coorow, Corrigin, Cunderdin, Dalwallinu, Dowerin, Dundas, Exmouth, Goomalling, Greater Geraldton, Irwin, Karratha, Laverton, Leonora, Meekatharra, Menzies, Mingenew, Moora, Morawa, Mount Magnet, Mount Marshall, Murchison, Murray, Narembeen, Northam, Northampton, Perenjori, Port Hedland, Quairading, Sandstone, Shark Bay, Tammin, Three Springs, Toodyay, Trayning, Upper Gascoyne, Victoria Plains, Wiluna, Wongan-Ballidu, Yalgoo, Yilgarn, York.