Macgregoria racemigera (spinifex snow, desert snow, carpet-of-snow) is a small plant in the family Celastraceae) found in inland Australia from New South Wales through Queensland, the Northern Territory to Western Australia, and South Australia.[1] [2]
Macgregoria racemigera is an erect annual herb with slender stems spreading over the ground and growing up to 15 cm by 30 cm in diameter. The leaves are linear and 5 to 15 mm long by 1 mm wide. The raceme is dense and from 4 to 11 cm long, with the flowers subtended by a bract at the base of the pedicel. The flowers are white, often having a pink throat and are strongly scented. The five unwinged fruit segments[3] are obovoid, densely papillose, and covered in hooked hairs.[4] The flowers with their lovely perfume are seen in the dry season.
Macgregoria racemigera was first described in 1874 by Ferdinand von Mueller from a specimen collected by Ernest Giles in the MacDonnell Ranges.[5]
The Walmajarri people of the southern Kimberley call this plant jaliji (a name given to plants with pretty flowers but having no specific use).[6] The Warlpiri use several names: ngapa-jakajaka, ngapajimpi, ngapa-taraki-taraki.[7]