Halophila australis Doty & B.C.Stone APNI* Synonyms: Halophila ovalis subsp. australis (Doty & B.C.Stone) APNI*
Description: Submerged marine aquatic dioecious perennial; rhizomes 1–2 mm diam.; scales glabrous.
Leaves appearing to arise directly from the main stem, glabrous; lamina narrow-elliptic, 2.5–7 cm long, with 10–20 pairs of cross-veins; margins entire.
Flowers unisexual, mostly solitary. Male flowers on a pedicel to 20 mm long at anthesis; spathe sessile; perianth segments 0.5–0.7 mm long. Female flowers with spathe on elongated erect lateral shoot 5–15 cm long off main stem; hypanthium 2–5 mm long; styles 6..
Fruit 7–13 mm long, ellipsoid.
Flowering: Flowers more likely during warmer months.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread around southern Australia (NSW, Vic, Tas, SA and WA). Grows on a range of substrates from low tide to 20+ m deep.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A. W.A.
Formerly treated as a subspecies of H. ovalis in Flora of NSW.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs (2007); edited KL Wilson (Feb 2011)
Taxon concept: ms (unpublished) 2007
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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