Citation: F. Muell., Linnaea 25:404 (1853).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Soft billybuttons.

Description:
Annual herb 5-30 cm high; stems ascending, several from the base, unbranched, leafy, sparsely cobwebby; basal leaves few, oblanceolate, soon withering; cauline leaves oblanceolate to elliptic, acute, subamplexicaul, 1-4 cm long, 1-7 mm wide, green and sparsely pubescent on both sides, wit a distinct mid-vein.

Peduncles 1-3 cm long, cobwebby, passing into the leafy stems; compound heads solitary or sessile in groups of 2-4, subglobular to ovoid, 1-1.8 cm long, 1-1.5 cm diam.; bracts of the common involucre 1- or 2-seriate, linear to elliptic, 3-4 mm long, pubescent, herbaceous with scarious-hyaline margins; capitulum-subtending bracts ovate, 2.5-3 mm long, sparsely cobwebby, herbaceous with broad scarious-hyaline margins; capitular involucral bracts 5 or 6, oblanceolate, hyaline with yellow apices; florets 4, rarely 3 or 5; corolla 3-4 mm long, with teeth c. 1 mm long.

Achenes c. 2 mm long, densely sericeous; pappus bristles 9-12, free, barbellate and whitish below, plumose and yellow above.

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

Distribution:  In woodland, scrub, shrub steppe and grassland on a variety of soils.   All mainland States. Conservation status: native Flowering time: July — Oct.

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