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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 helipteroides (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
Hairy Mulla Mulla

Reference
Fragm. (Mueller) 6:231 (1868)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Erect to ascending annual, herb, 0.02-0.6 m high. Fl. pink-purple/pink-white, Apr to Oct. Red stony sand, sandy loam. Stony flats.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 31 August 1999
Image

Scientific Description

Annuals, stems several, more or less erect, persistently hairy or glabrescent, with nodose hairs. Leaves present, 5-70 mm long, 2-10 mm wide, persistently hairy or glabrescent, with nodose hairs; basal rosette present; cauline leaves alternate. Spikes pink or magenta, ovoid, cylindrical or hemispherical, solitary or clustered, with densely arranged flowers. Bracts 6.8-7.2 mm long, colourless, glabrous, awned or mucronate, with an obscure midrib. Bracteoles 3.8-5 mm long, colourless, glabrous, awned or mucronate, with an obscure or a prominent midrib. Outer tepals 8.2-9.2 mm long, not entire. Inner tepals 7.5-8.7 mm long, with a basal tuft of hairs on inner face. Style 3-3.6 mm long, curved, 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, Central Ranges, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Gibbson Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Murchison, Pilbara, Yalgoo.

R. Davis, 30 April 2019

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Central Ranges, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Murchison, Nullarbor, Pilbara, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Ashburton, Augustus, Cape Range, Carlisle, Carnegie, Central, Chichester, Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Murchison, Fortescue, Hamersley, Lateritic Plain, Mackay, Mann-Musgrave Block, McLarty, Merredin, Roebourne, Rudall, Shield, Southern Cross, Tallering, Trainor, Western Murchison, Wooramel.
IMCRA Regions
Pilbara (nearshore).
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Cue, East Pilbara, Exmouth, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Karratha, Laverton, Leonora, Meekatharra, Menzies, Mount Magnet, Murchison, Ngaanyatjarraku, Perenjori, Sandstone, Upper Gascoyne, Wiluna, Yalgoo.