Citation: Turcz., Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 24:66 (1851).

Synonymy: Dimorpholepis australis A. Gray, Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 4:227 (1852); Helipterum australe (A. Gray) Druce, Rep. Botl Soc. Exch. Club Br. Isl. 1916, 4:627 (1917); H. dimorpholepis Benth., Fl. Aust. 3:650 (1867); Duttonia sessiliceps F. Muell., Linnaea 25:410 (1853).

Common name: Common sunray, pygmy daisy.

Description:
Annual herb 2-12 cm tall; stems one to several, erect to ascending, sparingly branched, sparsely to moderately hirsute with long straight hairs having broad septate bases; leaves broadly linear, flat, acute, sessile, mostly 0.5-2 cm long, 1-3 mm wide (on luxuriant specimens up to 3 cm x c. 4 mm), with a sparse vestiture as on the stems.

Capitula sessile, terminal on short branchlets, sometimes 2 or 3 together, usually surrounded and exceeded by a cluster of subtending leaves, hemispherical to subglobular, 6-7 mm long; involucral bracts 5-7-seriate; outer bracts ovate-acuminate, pale-stramineous, wholly scarious, translucent, glabrous, with ciliate margins, the cilia in length a third to half the width of the bracts; intermediate bracts present; inner bracts linear, curved, stiff, subherbaceous, glandular-pubescent, shortly ciliate, with subulate scarious stramineous tips; florets exceeding the involucre by 2-3 mm, yellow.

Achenes oblong-elliptic, not beaked, sparsely pubescent, with short inconspicuous hairs; pappus bristles equalling or exceeding the florets, plumose-ciliate, at the base c. 0.3 mm in breadth, of the bisexual florets 3 rarely only 2, of the female ones 1 with the rudiments of 2 or all rudimentary and forming a jagged cup.

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 693.

Distribution:  Widespread but generally in small, scattered populations, in a wide range of soils and vegetation types but frequently near seasonally dry swamps and other sites such as rock ledges and depressions providing temporary water catchment. S.Aust.: NW, NU, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, SL, SE.   W.Aust.; Qld; N.S.W.; Vic. Conservation status: native Flowering time: Aug. — 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