Newhaven FloraButterfly Bush (Petalostylis cassioides) Desert Poplar (Codonocarpus cotinifolius) Fork-leaved Corkwood (Hakea divaricata) Newcastelia spodiotricha Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Senna pleurocarpa Tar Bush (Eremophila glabra)

Known as the Butterfly Bush (Petalostylis cassioides) this spreading shrub is closely related to the cassias and occurs only in Australia, growing widely in the dry inland parts of Australia. It grows to about 1-1.5 metres high, has hairy covering which is sparse to dense.

Butterfly Bush (Petalostylis cassioides), Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary NT © Dorothy Latimer
Butterfly Bush (Petalostylis cassioides), Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary NT © Dorothy Latimer

The flowers appear in clusters of 1-3, with 5 petals, a deep yellow with red marking that appear like ‘eyebrows’, taken together sometimes ‘heart shape’ in appearance, on the upper petals. The 3 stamens in the centre and the style projects like a boat-shaped petal. The leaves have many small leaflets (23-55), which are mostly notched and sometimes hooked.

Aborigines are known to rub the crushed leaves on the skin to treat various ailments.

Butterfly Bush (Petalostylis cassioides), Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary NT © Dorothy Latimer
Butterfly Bush (Petalostylis cassioides), Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary NT © Dorothy Latimer

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Charophyta
  • Class: Equisetopsida
  • Subclass: Magnoliidae
  • Superorder: Rosanae
  • Order: Fabales
  • Family: Fabaceae
  • Genus: Petalostylis
  • Species: Petalostylis cassioides

Newhaven FloraButterfly Bush (Petalostylis cassioides) Desert Poplar (Codonocarpus cotinifolius) Fork-leaved Corkwood (Hakea divaricata) Newcastelia spodiotricha Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Senna pleurocarpa Tar Bush (Eremophila glabra)

Newhaven Wildlife SanctuaryNewhaven Fauna Newhaven Flora

Northern TerritoryCentral Australia Aileron Alice Springs Binns Track Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve Ernest Giles Road Finke Gorge National Park Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve Hermannsburg Historic Precinct Ilparpa Claypans Karlu Karlu / Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve MacDonnell Ranges Mount Connor Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary Owen Springs Reserve Red Centre Way Drive Standley Chasm Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Watarrka National Park & Kings Canyon Wurre / Rainbow Valley