Common name: Kapok Bush
Aerva javanica Schult. APNI* 
Description: Erect ± woody, branched shrub to 1 m high, younger parts whitish-tomentose.
Leaves linear to narrow-obovate, 2–7 cm long, tomentose.
Flowering spikes to 10 cm long; bracts and bracteoles lanceolate to ovate, white, and partly woolly-tomentose, c. 1–2 mm long, persistent after the perianth has fallen. Perianth segments obovate, the outer 2 larger than the inner, to 3 mm long, very hairy on the outside; perianth of male flowers smaller than the female flowers.
Fruit 1–1.5 mm long.
Distribution and occurrence: Introduced as a fodder plant, occasionally naturalized. Native of the Old World Trop.
NSW subdivisions: *NFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A. *S.A. *N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & L. Lapinpuro
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 Suppl. (1999)
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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