Salinity Indicator Plants Home | Salinity in the Mallee Region | Photo Gallery | Glossary
Purpose
A list of salt-tolerant plants that commonly occur in the Mallee Region appear below. The estimated soil salinity classes in which each of these plant species is likely to occur has been noted. Because many species often grow across a range of classes, other salinity indicators may also be needed to increase confidence in identifying a particular salinity class from its assemblage of indicator species.
It should be noted that many plants are capable of growing over a range of soil salinities so other salinity indicators are needed to increase the confidence in identifying saline soils.
Vegetation Community in relation to Salinity Class
* Indicates introduced and exotic species
| S1 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| * | Annual Beard-grass | Polypogon monspeliensis |
| Curly Windmill-grass | Enteropogon acicularis | |
| Mediterranean Barley-grass | Hordeum hystrix (syn. Critesion hystrix) | |
| Rat's-tail Couch | Sporobolus mitchellii | |
| * | Sea Barley-grass | Hordeum marinum (syn. Critesion marinum) |
| * | Tall Wheat-grass | Lophopyrum ponticum (syn. Agropyron elongatum) |
| Toad Rush | Juncus bufonius | |
| * | Wimmera Rye-grass | Lolium rigidum |
| Windmill Grass | Chloris truncata | |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| * | Burr Medic | Medicago polymorpha |
| Creeping Monkey Flower | Mimulus repens | |
| Hardhead Daisy | Brachyscome lineariloba | |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Mediterranean Turnip | Brassica tournefortii | |
| Small Monkey-flower | Mimulus prostratus | |
| Spiked Centaury | Centaurium spicatum | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Belah | Casuarina pauper (syn. Casuarina cristata) | |
| Black Box | Eucalyptus largiflorens | |
| Dillon Bush | Nitraria billardierei | |
| Eumong | Acacia stenophylla | |
| Lagoon Saltbush | Atriplex suberecta | |
| Mallee Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca brevifolia | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| River Red-gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | |
| Ruby Saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| Thorny Saltbush | Rhagodia spinescens | |
| Violet Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca wilsonii | |
| Yanga Bush | Maireana brevifolia | |
S2 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| * | Annual Beard-grass | Polypogon monspeliensis |
| Curly Windmill-grass | Enteropogon acicularis | |
| Mediterranean Barley-grass | Hordeum hystrix (syn. Critesion hystrix) | |
| Rat's-tail Couch | Sporobolus mitchellii | |
| * | Sea Barley-grass | Hordeum marinum (syn. Critesion marinum) |
| Toad Rush | Juncus bufonius | |
| * | Wimmera Rye-grass | Lolium rigidum |
| Windmill Grass | Chloris truncata | |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| Bonefruit | Osteocarpum salsuginosum | |
| * | Burr Medic | Medicago polymorpha |
| * | Common Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum crystallinum |
| Creeping Monkey Flower | Mimulus repens | |
| Hardhead Daisy | Brachyscome lineariloba | |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Spergularia marina | |
| Mediterranean Turnip | Brassica tournefortii | |
| Oval Purse | Hymenolobus procumbens | |
| * | Red Sand-spurrey | Spergularia rubra |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-Flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Short-stem Sand-spurrey | Spergularia brevifolia | |
| * | Small Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum |
| Small Monkey-flower | Mimulus prostratus | |
| Spiked Centaury | Centaurium spicatum | |
| Stiff Cup-flower | Pogonolepis muelleriana (syn. Angianthus strictus) | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Belah | Casuarina pauper (syn. Casuarina cristata) | |
| Black Box | Eucalyptus largiflorens | |
| Creeping Saltbush | Atriplex semibaccata | |
| Dillon Bush | Nitraria billardierei | |
| Eastern Flat-top Saltbush | Atriplex lindleyi | |
| Eumong | Acacia stenophylla | |
| Lagoon Saltbush | Atriplex suberecta | |
| Mallee Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca brevifolia | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| River Red-gum | Eucalyptus camaldulensis | |
| Ruby Saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Slender-fruited Saltbush | Atriplex leptocarpa | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| Thorny Saltbush | Rhagodia spinescens | |
| Violet Honey-myrtle | Melaleuca wilsonii | |
| Yanga Bush | Maireana brevifolia | |
S3 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| Australian Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia stricta | |
| * | Coast Barb-grass | Parapholis incurva |
| Mediterranean Barley-grass | Hordeum hystrix (syn. Critesion hystrix) | |
| Puccinellia | Puccinella ciliata | |
| * | Sea Barley-grass | Hordeum marinum (syn. Critesion marinum) |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| Beaded Glasswort | Sarcocornia quinqueflora | |
| * | Common Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum crystallinum |
| Lesser Sand-spurrey | Spergularia diandra | |
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Spergularia marina | |
| Mediterranean Turnip | Brassica tournefortii | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Oval Purse | Hymenolobus procumbens | |
| * | Red Sand-spurrey | Spergularia rubra |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Short-stem Sand-spurrey | Spergularia brevifolia | |
| * | Small Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum |
| Stiff Cup-flower | Pogonolepis muelleriana (syn. Angianthus strictus) | |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black-seeded Samphire | Halosarcia pergranulata | |
| Creeping Saltbush | Atriplex semibaccata | |
| Dillon Bush | Nitraria billardierei | |
| Eastern Flat-top Saltbush | Atriplex lindleyi | |
| Eumong | Acacia stenophylla | |
| Moona | Melaleuca lanceolata | |
| Ruby Saltbush | Enchylaena tomentosa | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Slender-fruited Saltbush | Atriplex leptocarpa | |
| Swamp Sheoak | Casuarina obesa | |
| Thorny Saltbush | Rhagodia spinescens | |
S4 | ||
| Grasses and Rush-like Plants | ||
| Australian Saltmarsh-grass | Puccinellia stricta | |
| * | Coast Barb-grass | Parapholis incurva |
| Puccinellia | Puccinella ciliata | |
Herbs and Forbs | ||
| Beaded Glasswort | Sarcocornia quinqueflora | |
| * | Common Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum crystallinum |
| Lesser Sea-spurrey | Spergularia marina | |
| Round-leaf Wilsonia | Wilsonia rotundifolia | |
| Rounded Noon-flower | Disphyma crassifolium subsp. clavellatum | |
| Short-stem Sand-spurrey | Spergularia brevifolia | |
| * | Small Ice Plant | Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum |
Shrubs and Trees | ||
| Austral Seablite | Suaeda australis | |
| Black-seeded Samphire | Halosarcia pergranulata | |
| Dillon Bush | Nitraria billardierei | |
| Eastern Flat-top Saltbush | Atriplex lindleyi | |
| Salt Paperbark | Melaleuca halmaturorum | |
| Slender-fruited Saltbush | Atriplex leptocarpa | |
| Thorny Saltbush | Rhagodia spinescens | |