The Cattle Bush (Trichodesma zeylanicum), grows anywhere between 40 cm up to 1 metre in height. This perennial has a cluster of pale blue flowers, about 2 cm wide, and usually with the flower drooping downwards. The flower has a protruding stamen surrounding the style, with the anthers end in long bristles, twisted together. This plant is also sometimes called Camel Bush or Water Bush.

Cattle Bush (Trichodesma zeylanicum), Central Australia NT
Cattle Bush (Trichodesma zeylanicum), Tanami Rd, Central Australia NT

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Charophyta
  • Class: Equisetopsida
  • Subclass: Magnoliidae
  • Superorder: Asteranae
  • Family: Boraginaceae
  • Genus: Trichodesma
  • Species: Trichodesma zeylanicum
  • Variety:
    • Trichodesma zeylanicum var. grandiflorum Randell
    • Trichodesma zeylanicum var. latisepaleum F.Muell.
    • Trichodesma zeylanicum (Burm.f.) R.Br. var. zeylanicum

Footnote & References

  1. Camel Bush, Trichodesma zeylanicum (Burm.f.) R.Br., Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Trichodesma zeylanicum

FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodium cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona

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