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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s flora taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not currently being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or the census. Due to the rapidly approaching holiday season and associated agency and facility soft closures, along with the substantial work involved in data mapping, cleaning, and verification, the migration to the new collection management software is not expected to occur before 1 March 2026, when a further update will be provided. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

The notice period started at 9:45 am on Friday, 12 December 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Monday, 2 March 2026 +08:00.

Halimeda opuntia (L.) J.V.Lamour.

Reference
Hist.Polyp.Corall. 308 (1816)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Scientific Description

Habit and structure. Thallus sprawling, with both upright and lateral growth, forming attachments at numerous points (whenever in contact with the substratum), bright green (becoming pale when dried), spreading to 20 cm or more. Branching profuse, arising in more than one plane from successive segments. Segments variable in shape, flat or contorted, often ribbed, with upper margin entire or lobed, 7–12 mm broad x 5–7 mm long. Cortex up to 5 layers of utricles, outermost 10–45 µm in diameter. Nodal medullary filaments uniting in pairs, sometimes more.

Distribution. Common in the tropics worldwide.

Habitat. H. opuntia forms imbricating patches between coral. 

John Huisman & Cheryl Parker, 3 August 2021

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Dampierland, Northern Kimberley.
IBRA Subregions
Mitchell, Pindanland.
IMCRA Regions
Canning, Kimberley, Ningaloo.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Broome, Derby-West Kimberley, Exmouth, Wyndham-East Kimberley.