About Maireana oppositifolia (F.Muell.) Paul G.Wilson
Maireana oppositifolia is a compact, fairly dense, much-branched shrub that usually grows no taller than 80 cm (31 in). Its young branches are densely covered in short, woolly hairs. Leaves are arranged in roughly opposite pairs, are egg-shaped, and mostly 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long. The lower leaf surface is broadly keeled, while the upper leaf surface is flat or concave. This species has dioecious flowers that are arranged singly. The fruiting perianth is glabrous, with a broadly conical to convex, thin-walled tube that bears five fan-shaped, prominently veined wings that spread unevenly. This plant, commonly called heathy bluebush, grows in clay loam and sand on mud flats, salt lakes, saline flats and salt pans. It occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Great Victoria Desert, Hampton, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Murchison, Nullarbor and Yalgoo bioregions of south-western Western Australia, southern South Australia, and the far north-west of Victoria.
