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The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system and census were set to read-only mode on 1 October 2025. Taxonomic updates published since this time are not being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or Western Australia’s taxonomic names census (Nomos). Conservation listings displayed on Florabase may also be out of date. Please refer to DBCA’s Threatened species and communities webpage for the most recent Threatened and Priority Flora List, noting that recent taxonomic updates are similarly not included. Our database migration is moving to a staging phase. We thank you for your patience as we ensure the integrity of our biodiversity data, develop new workflows, and train staff to use the new systems. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

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Scaevola tortuosa Benth.
Tortuous-stem Scaevola

Reference
Fl.Austral. 4:91-92 (1868)
Conservation Code
Priority One
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Ascending perennial, herb, 0.1-0.2 m high. Fl. blue-purple/pink, Oct. Sandy clay. Margins of salt lakes.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 22 September 1999

Scientific Description

Stems ribbed. Leaves flat, 15-40 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, Indumentum present, with dense, simple hairs; margins entire or toothed. Bracteoles present, 1.5-2 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs. Pedicel pedicellate, Pedicel length the pedicels 20-30 mm long, Indumentum present, Hair type with simple hairs. Calyx lobes present, Calyx length 2-4 mm long, hairy, with dense, simple hairs. Corolla blue or mauve, 16-22 mm long, without auricles, not spurred, hairy on the outside, with sparse, simple hairs, hairy on the inside; central lobes 6-8.5 mm long, with wings; outer lobes 6-7.5 mm long, wings present on both sides, 0.5-0.8 mm wide. Anthers free. Ovary inferior, not gibbose; style 8-10 mm long, hairy; indusium single, hairy; ovules one or two. Flowers in October. Occurs in the Coolgardie (COO) and Avon Wheatbelt (AW) IBRA Region(s), of the Eremaean (E) and South West (SW) Botanical Province. Conservation Code: Conservation code Priority One (P1).

C. Hollister and K.R. Thiele, 2 August 2023

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Mallee.
IBRA Subregions
Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Mallee, Katanning, Merredin, Southern Cross, Western Mallee.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Bruce Rock, Cunderdin, Esperance, Goomalling, Kellerberrin, Kondinin, Kulin, Quairading, Ravensthorpe, Wongan-Ballidu.