Creeping boobialla

Appearance

Creeping boobialla is a prostrate, speading shrub sometimes forming a mat 3 metres in diameter. Its leaves are fleshy and glabrous, usually 18–40 millimetres long, 3–6.5 millimetres wide and egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base. They are arranged alternately, sometimes have a few serrations on the margins near the leaf tip and sometimes have raised, wart-like tubercles on their surface.

White flowers with purple spots appear in the leaf axils singly or in clusters of 2 or 3 on a stalk 7.5–33 millimetres long. The flowers have 5 lance-shaped sepals and 5 petals joined at their bases to form a tube. The tube is about 3 millimetres long and the lobes are spreading, blunt and 3–4 millimetres long. As a result, the diameter of the flower is about 75 millimetres . There are 4 stamens which extend beyond the petals. Peak flowering times are winter to summer in New South Wales and October to March in South Australia and the fruit that follows are succulent, rounded, yellowish-white and up to 8.5 millimetres in diameter.

Naming

''Myoporum parvifolium'' was first formally described by botanist Robert Brown in ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae'' in 1810. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words ''parvus'' meaning "small" or "little" and ''folium'' meaning "a leaf".

Distribution

''Myoporum parvifolium'' occurs in the south-west corner of New South Wales, and from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia eastwards to Victoria. It is common along much of the Murray River in South Australia. It often grows on limestone cliffs, along river flats and in woodland in sandy sometimes saline soils.

Habitat

''Myoporum parvifolium'' occurs in the south-west corner of New South Wales, and from the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia eastwards to Victoria. It is common along much of the Murray River in South Australia. It often grows on limestone cliffs, along river flats and in woodland in sandy sometimes saline soils.

Cultural

Creeping boobialla is a useful ground cover and is often cultivated for that purpose. It prefers a well-drained, sunny position but is hardy in most situations. It is usually propagated from cuttings and has been used as a rootstock for more difficult related species such as ''Eremophila''.