Citation: Less., Syn. gen. Comp. 273 (1832).

Synonymy: Chrysocoma squamata Labill., Nov. Holl. Pl. Sp. 2:40 (1806).

Common name: Scaly buttons.

Description:
Perennial herb 10-40 cm tall, with tufted roots and numerous ascending stems loosely enveloped in fibrous leaf bases below; stems and branches moderately to sparsely hirsute, with broad-based slender hairs c. 2 mm long; leaves oblanceolate to linear, with revolute margins, acuminate to apiculate, sessile at the base, becoming sheathing below, mostly 1-3 cm long, 1.5-5 mm wide, on the upper side moderately to sparsely hirsute like the stems on the underside closely white-woolly-tomentose except for the hirsute mid-vein.

Peduncles 5-20 cm long, terminating leafy branchlets 1-5 cm long; capitula campanulate, 7-12 mm long; involucral bracts extending down the peduncle; outer bracts linear-lanceolate, acuminate, with a herbaceous base, stramineous in the lower half, dark-brown towards the tips, scarious, enveloped in cobwebby hairs, with margins long-ciliate, the cilia in length up to 3 times the width of the bracts; inner bracts with linear herbaceous glandular-pubescent claws and golden-brown subulate laminae; florets a deep bright-yellow.

Achenes oblong-elliptic, scarcely contracted at the apex, compressed, papillose; pappus bristles almost as long as the floret, barbellate from the base, slightly more strongly so at the summit, of bisexual florets 8-12, of the female ones 4-6.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 704.

Distribution:  A moderately widespread species of variable stature, found in a variety of situations, from sclerophyll forest to mallee and scrub, on clay-loam or sandy soils.   N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Sept. — Dec.

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