Ellura Sanctuary, Swan Reach, SA, 5354
                 
This page contains Vines & Creepers.
Stat'
Notes
Thumbnails: 95.   13 native species (6 introduced) listed, with 6 natives (0 introduced) from Ellura
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Carrots (Apiales); 1 species, none from Ellura - Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae); 1 species, none from Ellura
Sweet Apple-berry
Billardiera cymosa ssp cymosa


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Thank you (Pennywort_Man ) for confirming the id of this species for us

A slender climber. We put all climbers and creepers under "Vines"
Imaged 4(1Fr) in Jan(1Fr) & Oct(3)
Imaged between 18-Oct-2022 and 01-Jan-2025
🔍Habit
🔍Bud & Large Flower
🔍Flower
🔍Fruit
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Betalains (Caryophyllales); 7 species, 2 from Ellura - Ice Plant (Aizoaceae); 5 species, 2 from Ellura
Coastal Galenia
Aizoon pubescens


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Thank you Alan Dandie (Alan_Dandie) for confirming the id of this species for us

Has white or pink flowers.
Imaged 3Fl in Jan(1Fl), Oct(1Fl) & Nov(1Fl)
Imaged between 31-Oct-2021 and 01-Jan-2025
🔍S3, Whole
🔍S3, Bud & Flower
Galenia
Aizoon secundum


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SynonymGalenia secunda

Other Common NameComb Brakbush

Thank you Ernst Weiher for confirming the id of this species for us

Has white or pink flowers. It's much hairier than it's relation, Aizoon pubescens, which is also introduced in Australia and seems more common.
Imaged 4(3B,4Fl) in Apr(3:3B,3Fl) & Sep(1Fl)
Imaged between 17-Sep-2021 and 25-Apr-2025
🔍S1, Patch
🔍S1, Pink Flower
🔍S1, White Flower
Lens Pigface
Carpobrotus sp


iNaturalist
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SynonymCarpobrotus rossii

Other Common NamePig Face

Thank you Ralph Foster for identifying this species for us

Large triangular, green to purple, succulent, vertical leaves.
Brilliant purple flower with white centre.
Sprawling habit that can completely cover square metres of ground.
We thought this was C. modestus, but recently found an SA factsheet that indicates that the size of flower for C. modestus <= 20mm (ours are >35mm) and that C. modestus has 20-80 stamen (ours have 100-600) are diagnostic. This factsheet points to Carpobrotus rossii; so we renamed our species as this.
Ralph then highlighted to us that the inland specimens of C. rossii are probably going to all be renamed; currently an undescribed species labelled Carpobrotus sp. Short calyx. Research is still ongoing to described them and provide morphological differences to separate out the two species.
Imaged 20(4Fl) in Feb(1), Mar(1), May(1), Jun(1), Jul(3), Aug(5:1Fl), Sep(6:2Fl) & Oct(2:1Fl)
Imaged between 19-Jun-2012 and 22-Jul-2023
Habit
🔍Patch
🔍Bud
🔍Flower
🔍Flower, above, size
🔍Flower, profile, the calyx
Crystalline Iceplant
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum


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Other Common NamesCommon Iceplant, Crystalline Ice Plant or Crystallinum Iceplant

Thank you Alan Dandie (Alan_Dandie) for confirming the id of this species for us

The largest we've seen is ~200mm wide, but they get much larger.
Most saltbushes we see have salt crystals appearing on their leaves. These are more like little bubbles with a point on one side. These are tiny water bladders, or "bladder cells".
The more stressed they are the redder they get.
Imaged 2 in Apr(1) & Sep(1)
Imaged between 26-Sep-2020 and 25-Apr-2025
🔍S1, Whole, Small, Stressed
🔍S2, Whole, Larger, Green
🔍S2, Leaves, Red Tipped
🔍S2, Leaf Surface & Edge
🔍S2, Pointed "Bladder Cells"
Desert Spinach
Tetragonia eremaea


iNaturalist
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Thank you Dr Manfred Jusaitis for confirming the id of this species for us

The flowers are tiny at only ~4mm tip to tip. As they are the same colour as the stem & leaf they are very hard to see. There are 2 flowers per leaf axis.
Imaged 2(1Fl) in Sep
Imaged between 11-Sep-2020 and 04-Sep-2023
🔍Habit
🔍2 Flowers per Leaf Axis
🔍Flower
🔍Size
🔍Leaf
🔍Back of Leaf
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Betalains (Caryophyllales); 7 species, 2 from Ellura - Four o'clock (Nyctaginaceae); 1 species, none from Ellura
Tah-vine
Boerhavia dominii


iNaturalist
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Other Common NameTar-vine

Thank you Tony and Jenny Dominelli for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 1Fl on 03-Nov-2021
🔍Flowers
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Betalains (Caryophyllales); 7 species, 2 from Ellura - Knotweed (Polygonaceae); 1 species, none from Ellura
Coastal Climbing Lignum
Muehlenbeckia gunnii


iNaturalist
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Other Common NamesCoastal Lignum or Native Sarsparilla

Thank you Alan Dandie (Alan_Dandie) for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 3Fl in Oct
Imaged between 16-Oct-2022 and 18-Oct-2022
🔍Leaves
🔍Bud & Flower
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Vines (Cucurbitales); 2 species, none from Ellura - Gourd (Cucurbitaceae); 2 species, none from Ellura
Paddymelon
Citrullus colocynthis


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Other Common NamesBitter Apple or Paddy Melon

Thank you Thomas Friedrich (thomasfriedrich) for confirming the id of this species for us

Fruits we've measure were between ~90mm up to ~180mm wide, with yellow flowers being ~25mm wide.
But this is a good comparision between the large and prickly paddymelons, as well as a mallee leaf.
The fuit is covered in transparent 'hairs', which don't seem to change much in size as the fruit grows. Being very 'fury' when young & small to barely visible when ripe & large.
The fruits are generally spherical, but can become eliptoid with age.
Imaged 7(2B,2Fl,7Fr) in Apr(6:2B,2Fl,6Fr) & Jun(1Fr)
Imaged between 30-Jun-2011 and 18-Apr-2025
🔍Whole
🔍Leaf
🔍Flower Stem with Buds
🔍Flowers
🔍New Fruit
🔍Spherical Fruit
🔍Oblong Large Fruit
Fruit, compared with Prickly (left)
Fruit, compared with large glove
🔍Open Fruit Showing Seed
Prickly Paddymelon
Cucumis myriocarpus ssp myriocarpus


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Other Common NamesGooseberry Cucumber, Thorny Cucumber or Paddy Melon

Flowers are ~5mm wide with the fruits measuring ~30mm wide.
Young fruits are very green & with broad stripes of different shades of green. As the rippen they go yellow.
We tend to find these & the larger paddymelon together in the same patches.
While called Prickly, the tubercles eminating from the fruit are quite rubbery; not at all sharp. The fruit has the texture of firm tomatoe.
Imaged 5(2B,2Fl,5Fr) in Apr(5:2B,2Fl,4Fr) & Jun(1Fr)
Imaged between 30-Jun-2011 and 25-Apr-2025
🔍Whole young plant
🔍Flower Stem with Buds
🔍Flower & Failed Fruit
🔍Green Fruits
Green Fruit
🔍Bunch of Ripe Fruit
🔍Yellow Fruit
🔍Same Yellow Fruit Cut Open
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Legumes (Fabales); 1 species, none from Ellura - Legume (Fabaceae or Leguminosae); 1 species, none from Ellura
Most species in this family have an orchid like flower, a pea flower, with two petals protruding out the front (often referred to as a beak; aka bird beak) then 2 vertical petals making a bit of a face. The vertical petals are often fused together, but usually have a notch at the top, in the middle, where they would separate into 2 petals.
One notable exception to these flowers are the Wattles (Acacia sp) which all have identical flowers; eucalypt like petalless afairs with the stamens making a round ball. The species in this genus are separated based on leaf shape, seed aril and how the flowers are arranged (on peduncles, or not, single or grouped, etc).
The other exception are the Senna's. These have 5 yellow petals arrange in a cup shape.
Native Lilac
Hardenbergia violacea
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Other Common NameHappy Wanderer

Imaged 4 in Aug(3) & Oct(1)
Imaged between 03-Aug-2003 and 27-Aug-2017
Leaves & Vines
Buds & Flowers
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Laurales (Laurales); 2 species, none from Ellura - Laurels (Lauraceae); 2 species, none from Ellura
Slender Devil's Twine
Cassytha glabella


iNaturalist
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Thank you (GrampiansHiker) for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 1(1B,1Fl) on 01-Jan-2025
🔍Bud & Flower
Course Dodder-laurel
Cassytha melantha


iNaturalist
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Thank you Peter Crowcroft for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 1 on 13-Mar-2020
🔍Habit
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Spurges, Violets & Allies (Malpighiales); 1 species from Ellura - Spurge (Euphorbiaceae); 1 species from Ellura
Caustic Spurge
Anisophyllum sp


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SynonymsChamaesyce drummondii or Euphorbia drummondii

Other Common NamesCaustic Creeper, Caustic Weed, Creeping Caustic, Flat Spurge, Mat-spurge or Milkweed

Thank you Dr Kym Nicolson for confirming the id of this species for us

We used to have this down as Euphorbia drummondii, then some years ago they split them into over 10 different species.
Dr Nathan Taylor said on iNaturalist "The plants can't be keyed without looking at seeds."
Since we've never collected the seed, we don't know which of this Anisophyllum section (a subset of the Euphorbia genus) they are.
Imaged 31(1Fl,1Fr) in Jan(3), Feb(4), Mar(9), Apr(3), May(4), Jun(1), Jul(1), Aug(4), Sep(1) & Oct(1:1Fl,1Fr)
Imaged between 18-Jan-2004 and 19-Oct-2020
Whole
Leaves & Stems
Flowers & Young Fruit
Over-ripe Fruit
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Myrtles (Myrtales); 1 species, none from Ellura - Myrtle (Myrtaceae); 1 species, none from Ellura
Muntries
Kunzea pomifera


iNaturalist
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Thank you Alan Dandie (Alan_Dandie) for confirming the id of this species for us

While classed as a "prostrate shrub", we think anyone coming to our web site to find out what this plant is would look under our "Vines" (creepers & climbers) page; hence it's current location. Let us know what you think.
A typical white eucalypt / melaleuca type flower that Myrtales have, with red highlights; yet scattered around the ground.
They are well known for their fruits/berries.
Imaged 5(2Fl,1Fr) in Jan(1Fr), Jul(2) & Oct(2Fl)
Imaged between 18-Oct-2022 and 01-Jan-2025
🔍Whole
🔍In Bud & Flower
🔍Flower, profile
🔍Flower, above
🔍Fruit
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Buttercups (Ranunculales); 1 species from Ellura - Buttercup (Ranunculaceae); 1 species from Ellura
Old Man's Beard
Clematis microphylla


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Thank you Alan Dandie (Alan_Dandie) for confirming the id of this species for us

Creamy large flowers with 4 long oval petals.
Green leaves. New stems are green going dark reddish brown with age.
Imaged 13(3Fl,2Fr) in Jan(1Fr), May(1), Aug(4:1Fl), Sep(2Fl), Oct(2) & Nov(3:1Fr)
Imaged between 30-Aug-2012 and 01-Jan-2025
Whole
Habit
🔍Flower
🔍Seeding
🔍Seeding
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Potatoes (Solanales); 2 species from Ellura - Bindweed (Convolvulaceae); 2 species from Ellura
Australian Bindweed
Convolvulus angustissimus ssp angustissimus


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SynonymConvolvulus erubescens

Other Common NamePink Convolvulus

Thank you Asimakis Patitsas for confirming the id of this species for us

Pretty little pink flower (about the size of a finger-nail) with green leaves and runners that can climb.
The flower has a unique way of opening by "unfolding"; as it is a single petal.
The fold lines are plainly visible. It gives it the appearance of an origami (paper) flower.
Imaged 9(2Fl) in Mar(1), Jun(1), Aug(1Fl), Sep(4:1Fl) & Oct(2)
Imaged between 09-Oct-2010 and 28-Oct-2020
Whole
Whole
New season growth
Profile
Habit
Seedling
New Leaf
Leaves
Older Leaf
🔍Flower
Flower
Flower, back
Grassy Bindweed
Convolvulus remotus


iNaturalist
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Thank you Tony and Jenny Dominelli for confirming the id of this species for us

Imaged 7(6Fl,2Fr) in Jan(1:1Fl,1Fr), Oct(3Fl), Nov(1Fl) & Dec(2:1Fl,1Fr)
Imaged between 19-Dec-2009 and 01-Jan-2025
Habit
Leaves
Bud
Flower
Plants (Plantae) - Land Plants (Charophyta) - Land Plants (Equisetopsida) - Twinleaves (Zygophyllales); 1 species, none from Ellura - Caltrop (Zygophyllaceae); 1 species, none from Ellura
Caltrop
Tribulus terrestris


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Other Common NameGoathead Burr

Thank you Johnny B Woodside (JohnnyBWoodside) for confirming the id of this species for us

Yellow Flowers ~8mm wide.
As you can see, the fruit thorns are very sharp and attached to our shoes. We scrapped them off before leaving the site not wanting to spread the seed any further.
The fruits grow as a collection of 5 sections of a sphere. Each section has 4 main thorns. The sections separate readily when drying. The larger green fruit shrivels considerably when dry.
Imaged 5(3B,3Fl,4Fr) in Apr
Imaged between 18-Apr-2025 and 25-Apr-2025
🔍Fruiting Plant
🔍Habit
🔍Stem
🔍Young Leaf & Buds
🔍Flower
🔍Green Fruit Stem
🔍Green Fruit, Residual Flower
🔍Green Fruit, under
🔍Green Fruit, side
🔍Green Fruit Segment, outer
🔍Green Fruit Segment, inner
🔍Green Fruit Segment, size
🔍Dried Fruit Segment, size
🔍Fruit Pinned to our Shoe

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