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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Asteraceae
Podolepis capillaris

Citation: Diels in Diels & E. Pritzel, Bot. Jb. 35:621 (1905).

Synonymy: Siemssenia capillaris Steetz in Lehm., Pl. Preiss. 1:467 (1845); P. siemssenia F. Muell. ex Benth., Fl. Aust. 3:607 (1866).

Common name: Wiry podolepis, invisible plant.

Description:
Annual herb to 45 cm high; stem erect, much-branched, wiry, red-brown, glabrous except for small hairs in the leaf axils; ultimate branches divaricate, capillary; basal leaves oblanceolate to elliptical, to 4.5 cm long, to 1 cm wide, glabrous, soon withering: cauline leaves distant, linear, obtuse, 0.5-4 cm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, glabrous, with recurved margins.

Peduncles 1-4 cm long, capillary, spreading, naked capitula numerous in loose inflorescences; involucres campanulate, 4-6 mm diam., 6-7 mm long; bract laminae more or less ovate, subacute, stramineous, entire, smooth, shiny; intermediate bracts 3.5-5 mm long, with narrowly elliptical herbaceous claws surrounded by scarious margins; ray florets 9-12; ligules cuneate, 2-2.5 mm long, 3-lobed, white, often with a purple line; disk florets 17-22, whitish; corolla asymmetrically 5-lobed, split down one side.

Achenes c. 1 mm long, microscopically papillate; pappus bristles absent from the ray achenes, 15-18 on disk achenes, minutely barbellate.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 663.

Distribution:  Occurs in mallee and arid woodland communities on sandy soils.

S.Aust.: NW, LE, NU, GT, FR, EA, EP, MU.   All mainland States.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: mainly July — Nov.


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


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