Brachyscome sieberi DC. APNI* Synonyms: Brachycome angustifolia var. heterophylla (Benth.) G.L.Davis APNI*
Brachyscome angustifolia var. heterophylla (Benth.) G.L.Davis APNI*
Description: Perennial, rhizomatous herb with sprawling to weakly ascending or erect branches to c. 35 cm long, branches green or flushed purple or reddish-purple, immature shoots may have a sparse to dense indumentum of stalked glandular hairs and septate, whitish, apparently eglandular hairs.
Leaves basal and cauline, alternate, green or with reddish or purplish flushing, basal and near basal leaves with tapering petiole-like bases 12–80 mm long, midcauline and upper leaves lacking a petiole, 2–22 mm long, apically often 3-lobed; uppermost cauline leaves lobed, 8–12 mm long.
Flowerheads c. 4–7 mm diam., on scapes manifestly exceeding the upper leaves. Involucral bracts 15–27, overlapping, ovate to lanceolate, elliptic to narrowly elliptic or obovate to oblanceolate, 2.3–4.3 mm long, mainly herbaceous but with hyaline margins, stereome entire or sometimes divided. Ray florets c. 18–31, 7.4–11.5 mm long, veins 4 (5), apically entire or minutely 2- or 3-toothed, upper surface shades of pink or perhaps mauve-pink, lower surfaces at least sometimes whitish or strawcoloured. Disc florets 34–41.
Achenes flat, obovate, straight or slightly curved, 1.8–2.4 mm long, yellow-brown, green-grey or a mixture of both colours; lateral surfaces with tubercles each with an eglandular hair. Pappus a ring of bristles joined at the base and forming a crown 0.25–0.4 mm high.
Flowering: Flowers from August through to April.
Distribution and occurrence: Growing only in New South Wales, extending from the vicinity of Newcastle north to the Moonbi Range and inland to about Bundulla, i.e. between c. 30º and 33º S, and east of 150º E. Predominantly growing in wet sclerophyll forest dominated by species such as Eucalyptus dalrympleana and E. pauciflora and with grass or herbaceous undergrowth.
NSW subdivisions: NC, NT, CT, NWS, CWS
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Short, P.S (2009) Muelleria 27(1): 30-32, Fig 12
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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