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Dillon Bush
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| Dillon Bush photos | Family: Twinleaf (Zygophyllaceae) |
| Scientific Name: | Nitraria billardierei |  Dillon Bush - plant Photo: A J Brown | |||||
Other Common Names: | Nitre-bush, Karumbil, Wild Grape | ||||||
Status: | Native to inland areas of Australia. | ||||||
Plant Description: | Rigid spreading perennial shrub, 1 – 2 m in height and often more in diameter, the branchlets often tangled and sometimes spiny. Leaves alternate, more often clustered, mostly oblong, 1 – 4 cm long, thick, flat, smooth, blue-green or green, with only one visible vein. Flowers small, white, borne in small clusters along the branches, with five concave and hooded petals 3 – 4 mm long. Fruit a fleshy ovoid-oblong drupe, 1 – 2 cm long, becoming purple, red or golden when ripe, containing a single tapered highly sculptured stone. Flowering mainly in spring, with the fruit ripening mid-summer. | ||||||
Habitat: | On loam and clay soils, particularly abundant on over-grazed open plain and floodplain areas, often in association with Bladder Saltbush, Black Box and Myall. Also along loamy, saline creek flats and on flat or low-lying areas in many communities.
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 Dillon Bush - young leaf shoots Photo: A J Brown |  Dillon Bush - mature leaves and woody stems Photo: A J Brown |
 Dillon Bush - flower Photo: A J Brown |  Dillon Bush - immature fruit Photo: A J Brown |
Dillon Bush - flowering
Photo: A J Brown |  Dillon Bush - mature fruit Photo: A J Brown |
