Citation: Wakef., Victorian Nat. 68:51 (1951).

Synonymy: Ozothamnus decurrens F. Muell., J. Trans. Vict. Inst. 3:59 (1859); H. decurrens (F. Muell.) F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 8:46 (1873), non Moench.

Common name: Ridged everlasting.

Description:
Low usually rounded rather rigid shrub 15 cm to 1 m tall and up to 1 m diam.: branches closely woolly-tomentose, with emergent glandular hairs producing yellow exudate, the tomentum interrupted by glandular-scabrous ridges of tissue decurrent from the recurved margins of the leaves; leaves linear, with an acuminate recurved apex often appearing retuse and with a broadly decurrent base slightly constricted at the point of attachment, 5-10 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, discolorous, green and glandular-scabrous on the upper side, on the underside with a vestiture as on the branches.

Capitula several to many in rounded more or less dense terminal corymbs, on short peduncles (2-3 mm), narrowly turbinate, 4-5 mm long, c. 3 mm diam.; involucral bracts 6-8-seriate, the inner ones oblong, all more or less rigid, thick, dry, opaque, stramineous, and with broad transparent hyaline margins; outer bracts with small or no dull-white patch towards the apex; inner bracts with erect, never patent orbicular dull-white laminae; florets 10-12, all bisexual.

Achenes oblong, 4-angled in cross-section, pale-brown, densely yellow-papillose; pappus bristles c. 20, minutely barbellate, more coarsely so towards the apex.

Distribution:  An understorey shrub of semi-arid open mallee shrubland usually on sandy soils.   Vic. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Nov. — Feb.

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

Biology: Closely resembles and easily confused with H. bilobum (especially subsp. bilobum) which is more widespread and variable.

Taxonomic notes: The Western Australian species H. blackallii N. Burb. (1958) Aust. J. Bot. 6:254 is recorded in the protologue from Fowler Bay on the basis of a specimen (A. Richardt s.n.) from the John Ray Herbarium, University of Sydney. This species is close to H. catadromum but differs in having milky white involucral bracts lacking transparent margins, and no other South Australian specimens can be attributed to it.

Author: Not yet available