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Southern Sea-Heath
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| Southern Sea-Heath photos | Family: Sea-heath (Frankeniaceae) |
| Scientific Name: | Frankenia pauciflora |  Southern Sea-heath flowers Photo: A J Brown | |||||
Status: | Native of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. | ||||||
Plant Description: | A prostrate or rounded perennial shrub to 0.5 m high, with many branches; often forming mats. The small linear and somewhat fleshy, dull green leaves are arranged oppositely with backward curving margins and are 3-7 mm long and 1 mm wide. Flowers are pink or white and stalkless. The 5-6 petals are 9-12 mm long and the fruit are capsules which contain several smooth to minutely warty seeds. | ||||||
Habitat: | Common component of coastal saltmarshes.
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Comments: | Eastern Australian populations are generally referred to var. gunnii. Similar to other sea-heaths but other Victorian species are largely confined to the north-west (Mallee and Wimmera), Small-leaf Sea-heath (Frankenia sessilis) and Leafy Sea-heath (Frankenia foliosa). |
 Southern Sea-heath leaves Photo: A J Brown |  Southern Sea-heath with scattered Rounded Noon-flower on the edge of a salt lake Photo: A J Brown |
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