Citation: Sprengel, Syst. Veg. 3:441 (1826).

Synonymy: Richea glauca Labill., Voy. rech. Perouse 1:186, t. 16 (1800); C richea Cass., Dict. Sci. Nat. 11:353 (1819); C. uniflora sensu J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 651 (1929), non Forster f.

Common name: Bachelors buttons, common billybuttons.

Description:
Annual herb, sometimes persisting for a second year, 10-80 cm high; basal leaves oblanceolate to oblong, acute to obtuse, attenuate at the base, 4-20 cm long, 6-18 mm wide, green and sparsely pubescent on both surfaces with a distinct mid-vein, usually forming a persistent rosette, sometimes few and withering before flowering; stems 1-3, erect, scape-like, unbranched, pubescent, passing into the peduncles; cauline leaves lanceolate, subamplexicaul, acute or acuminate, 0.8-5 cm long, the upper ones appressed and bract-like.

Compound head solitary, globular or depressed-globular, 1.5-3, rarely to 4 cm diam.; bracts of the common involucre 2-seriate, ovate, 3-5 mm long, herbaceous with broad brown scarious margins; capitulum-subtending bracts ovate, 2-3 mm long, brown-scarious, glabrous; capitular involucral bracts 4-7, lanceolate to oblanceolate, hyaline with a green mid-vein; florets 4-10; corolla 2.5-5.5 mm long with a filiform tube abruptly dilated and teeth 0.5-1 mm long.

Achenes c. 3 mm long, densely to sparsely sericeous; pappus bristles 12-18, connate at the base, plumose, white.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 707.

Distribution:  In forest and woodland, mainly on heavy soils; often abundant on cleared pastures and roadsides.   All States except the N.T. Conservation status: native Flowering time: July — Dec.

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

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: A species aggregate with at least two entities in S.Aust., one with leaves in a basal rosette and the other with mostly cauline leaves. The name C. glauca is retained pending a revision of the genus, although Richea glauca was based on Tasmanian type material and may not be conspecific with any mainland Craspedia. C. uniflora is endemic to New Zealand and distinct from any Australian species.

Author: Not yet available