Citation: Hook. f., Fl. Nov. Zel. 1:128 (1853).

Synonymy: Anacyclus australis Sieber ex Sprengel, Syst. Veg. 3:497 (1826).

Common name: Common cotula.

Description:
Annual or perennial herb to 12 cm high; stems prostrate to ascending, weak, rooting at nodes, branched, villous; leaves obovate to oblanceolate, attenuate at the base, pinnatisect to bipinnatisect, the segments deeply 3-7-lobed, 1-3 cm long, sparsely or densely villous with long fine hairs.

Peduncles erect, filiform, to 8 cm long, exceeding the leaves; capitula heterogamous, 4-5 mm diam.; involucral bracts numerous, oblong to lanceolate, subglabrous; receptacle flat; female florets 3- or 4-seriate, pedicellate, without corollas.

Achenes flat, oblong, 1-1.5 mm long, glandular, with a thickened narrow wing; inner florets 15-25, fertile, hardly pedicellate; corollas short, pale-yellow or cream; achenes plano-convex, oblong, c. 1 mm long, smooth, wingless.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 670.

Distribution:  Mainly in open grassy vegetation near water, often on roadsides; a weed in lawns and gardens. S.Aust.: FR, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   All States except N.T.   New Zealand; naturalised in Europe and South Africa. Conservation status: native Flowering time: July — Nov.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available