Citation: Benth., Fl. Aust. 3:559 (1867).

Synonymy: Elachopappus rudallii F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 3:157 (1863).

Common name: None

Description:
Annual 5-10 cm high; stems several, ascending to procumbent, usually branched, weak, sparsely cobwebby; leaves oblanceolate, elliptic or oblong, the lower ones attenuate at the base, the upper ones amplexicaul, 0.5-2.5 cm long, 1-4 mm wide, glabrous to sparsely cobwebby, flat, thin, dull-green, with a distinct mid-vein.

Compound heads biconvex, 1-1.6 cm diam., terminal on leafy stems; bracts of the common involucre oblanceolate, 4-7 mm long, hyaline, with green midribs and densely cobwebby below, glabrous and obtuse above, usually with white opaque spreading apices to 2 mm long; bracts subtending the capitula narrow, hyaline, ciliate; capitular involucral bracts 4, oblanceolate, very obtuse, c. 3 mm long, hyaline, sparsely cobwebby, free, the outer pair concave, the inner pair flat; florets 4, rarely 3, all 5-merous; corolla bright-yellow.

Achene fusiform, c. 1.5 mm long, pubescent, brown; pappus an erose-fimbriate hyaline scale c. 0.2 mm long, produced into a simple bristle c. 1 mm long, sometimes with smaller bristles.

Distribution:  Along rivers and flood plains. S.Aust.: NW, LE.   W.Aust.; N.T. Conservation status: native Flowering time: most of the year.

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

Biology: M. rudallii as here circumscribed is a very variable species, including specimens lacking white bract apices which grade into a complex of Western Australian species including M. nudus.

Author: Not yet available