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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.

Turbinaria ornata (Turner) J.Agardh

Reference
Spec.Gen.Ord.Alg. 1:266 (1848)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current
Image

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus to 30 cm tall; axes erect simple or branched. Laterals, including stalk, 7–21 mm long, 5–21 mm wide, usually dentate and with a large central vesicle crowned by occasional coarse erect teeth. Stalk terete to angular, 0.5–1.0 mm diam. at the base, thickening towards the apex. Some plants with flattened laterals and stalks; vesicle vestigial and margins entire, resembling the shape of a gingko leaf. Inflorescences 3–9 mm long, arising in the basal third of the vesicle, with racemose receptacles 1–4 mm long, terete with rounded apices.

Distribution. Widespread in tropical seas. In W.A. known from the tropics south to the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

Habitat. Epilithic in the intertidal and shallow subtidal.

[After Dixon & Huisman, Algae of Australia: Mar. Benthic Algae of North-western Australia, 1. Green and Brown Algae 273 (2015)]

John Huisman and Cheryl Parker, 3 August 2021

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Dampierland, Northern Kimberley, Pilbara.
IBRA Subregions
Mitchell, Pindanland, Roebourne.
IMCRA Regions
Abrolhos Islands, Kimberley, Ningaloo, Pilbara (nearshore), Pilbara (offshore).
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, Broome, Carnarvon, Cocos Islands, Derby-West Kimberley, Exmouth, Greater Geraldton, Karratha, Wyndham-East Kimberley.