Citation: F. Muell., Hooker 2 J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 9:22 (1857).

Derivation: The generic name was proposed in honour of Henry Pelham Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle, 1811-1868, who was Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1852-1854, and supplied funds for the north-western Australian Government Expedition of 1855.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Tomentose-woolly or viscid shrubs; stem erect, branched, cylindrical, woody; leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, decussate or verticillate, simple, exstipulate; inflorescence dense, elongate spikes or subglobose heads terminal on branches, woolly-tomentose; flowers 5- or 6-merous, rarely more; calyx 5- or 6-lobed, rarely more; corolla 5- or 6-lobed at the apex, tubular below, glabrous outside, villous-tomentose inside the tube; stamens 5 or 6, rarely more, alternate with corolla lobes, exserted or included; anthers nonappendiculate, 2-lobed; lobes free and divergent in the lower half; ovary tomentose or glabrous; style exserted or included; stigma with a minute notch or almost entire.

Fruit dry, indehiscent.

Distribution:  About 11 species, all endemic to Australia. (See Munir (1978) Brunonia 1:589-643).

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Flowers in subglobular to ovoid terminal heads
2. Stem and leaves with a brownish-grey tomentum; hairs 0.3-1 mm long; leaves not crowded, 1-3.8 cm x 3-10 mm, recurved along most margins; flowerheads smoky-woolly, usually not fluffy	N. cephalantha var. cephalantha 2a.
2. Stem and leaves with a whitish-grey tomentum; hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long; leaves crowded, 0.6-1.5 cm x 2-6 mm, revolute to the mid-rib; flowerheads greyish-woolly, often very fluffy	N. cephalantha var. tephropepla 2b.
1. Flowers in elongate spikes
3. Leaves with a thick-woolly tomentum, oblong-lanceolate, 15-25 x 3-7 mm, margins recurved, the midrib and veins hidden under the dense woolly tomentum; spikes dense, slender, woolly-tomentose 5-7 mm diam.; ovary glandular at the top	N. bracteosa 1.
3. Leaves thin-tomentose, broad-ovate or elliptic-ovate, 3-6.5 x 1.2-3 cm, margins almost flat or broad-revolute, the midrib and primary lateral veins distinct below; spikes thick, greyish-tomentose, 1-1.5 cm diam.; ovary glandular all over	N. spodiotricha 3.

Author: Not yet available