''Muellerolimon salicorniaceum'', the sole species in genus ''Muellerolimon'', is a succulent perennial herb or shrub that grows on salt mudflats in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

Description

It grows as an erect or spreading succulent perennial herb or shrub, from ten centimetres to a metre high. Its leaves are reduced to tiny scales sheathing the stem joints. Flowers are white, and occur in terminal cymes. The fruit is a nut.

Taxonomy

The species was first published in 1881 by

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...

, under the name ''Statice salicorneacea''. It was transferred into ''Limonium'' by

Otto Kuntze Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze (23 June 1843 – 27 January 1907) was a German botanist. Biography Otto Kuntze was born in Leipzig. An apothecary in his early career, he published an essay entitled ''Pocket Fauna of Leipzig''. Between 1863 and 1866 he ...

in the 1890s, where it remained until 1982, when

Igorj Alexandrovich Linczevski Igor Alexandrovitch Lintchevski (russian: Игорь Александрович Линчевский) (16 June 1908 – 18 July 1997) was a Russian botanist. Biography Igor Lintchevski was born in Leningrad in a teaching family. His childhood a ...

erected ''Muellerolimon'' for it.

Distribution and habitat

It grows in coastal mudflats and salt marches of

. Most specimen collections have been near the coast between

Geraldton Geraldton (Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth. At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...

and Broome, but there have also been collections from the west coast south of

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, the south coast in the vicinity of Esperance, and as far inland as Wiluna.

Ecology

It is

halophytic A halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity, coming into contact with saline water through its roots or by salt spray, such as in saline semi-deserts, mangrove swamps, marshes and sloughs and seashores. T ...

. It is not considered threatened.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16773078 Caryophyllales of Australia Halophytes Eudicots of Western Australia Monotypic Caryophyllales genera Plumbaginaceae Succulent plants