Common name: Border Ranges Daisy
Brachyscome ascendens G.L.Davis APNI* Description: Perennial, stoloniferous herb, branching from basal and upper nodes; branches weakly ascending to somewhat erect, to c. 35 cm long, with stalked glandular hairs.
Leaves basal and cauline, all with stalked glandular hairs, mostly oblanceolate, 7–40 mm long, 2–12 mm wide, mostly toothed or lobed, 2–12 per leaf and incised less than ½ way to the midrib, one or more leaves sometimes entire; cauline leaves decreasing in size towards the capitulum and usually with fewer lobes than basal leaves, the uppermost one(s) often entire and lanceolate or almost linear.
Involucre 7–11 mm diam. Bracts c. 12– 18, of c. equal, in 1 row, elliptic to narrow-elliptic or obovate, apically rounded, 3.5–4.6 mm long, 1–2.2 mm wide, with prominent scarious margins and apex which may be purplish, the outer surface usually with stalked glandular hairs. Ray florets c. 8–10 mm long, mauve, lavender or lilac. Disc florets 5-lobed. Stamens 5.
Achenes thin, flat obovate, 1.9–2.3 mm long, brown with prominent tubercles, each ending in a biseriate curved hair; wing-like margins dissected, each lobe terminating with a short eglandular hair or stalked glandular hair; pappus a crown of short bristles.
Flowering: Flowers in April, October and December, specimens with mature fruit in May and October.
Distribution and occurrence: Only known from the McPherson Range and regions to the east near the Queensland and New South Wales border. Rocky slopes in woodland or forest and associated with basalt.
NSW subdivisions: NC
Other Australian states: Qld
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Endangered
This species is considered data-deficient by Saving our Species (SoS, DPIE) which means a conservation project cannot be developed for it. Visit their website and contact SoS if you have additional information.
Morphologically, B. ascendens appears to be distinguishable from all other members of the B. aculeata complex by the almost truncate apex of the cypsela, the wing-like margins in the achenes of other species forming a distinct apical notch. The distinction seems somewhat trivial and, given the variation exhibited in many specimens here included under B. aculeata, the maintenance of this taxon as a distinct species may prove untenable.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Short, P.S. (2014) Review of Brachyscome s.lat. (Asteraceae). J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 28.
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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