Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. APNI* Description: Annual to perennial, simple or much-branched herbs, 0.2–1 m high; stems ribbed, ± glabrous to densely hairy.
Leaves variable, linear, elliptic to ovate or ovate-rhombic, 2–7 cm long, 5–25 mm wide, apex ± obtuse to acute, margins irregularly toothed, lobed or ± entire, petiole 5–25 mm long and often winged; upper leaves smaller and often sessile.
Heads hemispherical, 5–10 mm diam., on leafless peduncles; involucral bracts linear-oblong, in 3- or 4-seriate, hairy, tips acuminate to subulate, purplish. Florets purple or white.
Achenes 1–2 mm long, ± ribless, pubescent, glandular; pappus 4–5 mm long, ± persistent.
Flowering: summer–autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows along roadsides and in grassland; north from Narooma district.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, CWS, NWP
Other Australian states: Qld N.T.
Text by M. F. Porteners
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the varieties | |
| 1 | Stems and leaves glabrous to sparsely hirsute. Erect herbs, 0.2–0.6 m high | var. cinerea |
| Plants densely hairy to woolly. Stems and leaves densely greyish villous to woolly. Erect herbs, 0.3–1 m high | var. lanata |
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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