Common name: Shrubby Twinleaf
Roepera aurantiaca subsp. aurantiaca Lindl. APNI* Synonyms: Zygophyllum aurantiacum (Lindl.) F.Muell. subsp. aurantiacum APNI*
Description: Low, spreading, perennial subshrub with slender stems, 20–50 cm high, 30–100 cm diam.
Leaves petiolate, 2 per node, Y-shaped; petiole 2.5–9 mm long, flattened, similar width to leaflets; leaflets narrowly elliptical, 3–19 mm long, 1–1.9 mm wide, continouus with petiole, obtuse, truncate, emarginate or rarely 3-lobed at apex.
Fruit 8–15 mm long.
Flowering: July–October
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in a variety of habitats and on different soils, at claypan margins, on stony calcareous soils and on red and grey sand; the far western plains regions of NSW. Also in SW Queensland, NW Victoria, South Australia, southern Northern Territory and Western Australia.
NSW subdivisions: SWP, NFWP, SFWP, NWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. S.A. N.T. W.A.
Barker (2013) recognises 4 subspecies in this species. This is the only subspecies in NSW. It has Y-shaped leaves (i.e. with distinct petioles and leaflets), unlike the other subspecies, which have apparently simple leaves lacking either petiole or leaflets.
Text by KL Wilson (Jan 2014) Taxon concept: Hj. Eichler, Fl. of NSW vol. 3 (1992); RM Barker, Flora of Australia vol. 26 (2013)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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