The pearl bluebush is quite common on Fowlers Gap, occuring chiefly along the ridges and and where there is regolith carbonate in the subsoil, particularly over the Adelaidean dolomitic shales that are common near the ridges. They are a regolith carbonate indicator species.

Pearl bluebushes are compact shrubs, up to about 1 m high and the leaves have a pearlescent lustre given by blue-grey tomentum. They commonly occur together with the black bluebush (Maireana pyramidata) and the bladder saltbush (Attriplex vesicaria).

Bark: covered in a silvery hairy wool.
Leaves: alternate, succulent (fleshy), terete 4-8 mm long, rounded at apex, tapering to base but sessile, linear to narrowly egg-shaped.
Flowers: occur in pairs where the leaves join the stems.
Fruit: Shiny yellow to pink, then straw-coloured when dry, tube 2 x 2-3 mm, sparsely hairy with a slightly domed horizontal wing about 10 mm across with fine radial veins and a radial slit.
Source: Frank Kutsche and Brendan Lay (2003). Field guide to the plants of outback South Australia. Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, South Australia, ISBN 0 7590 1052 8.
Phillip Moore (2005). A guide to plants of inland Australia. Reed New Holland, ISBN 1 876334 86 X.
Photos: Ian Roach

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