Common name: Blue Pincushion
Brunonia australis Sm. ex R.Br. APNI* 
Description: Perennial herb, stem usually short, villous.
Leaves in a basal cluster, spreading, elliptic to spathulate, 4–10 cm long, 5–18 mm wide, apex ± acute, base attenuate into a petiole-like base, margins entire, surfaces green and silky.
Scapes terminal, numerous, erect or ascending, 5–30 cm long, unbranched, hairy; heads hemispherical, 13–25 mm diam.; outer involucral bracts 3.5–8 mm long, inner bracts shorter; bracteoles 4–5 mm long. Sepals 3–4 mm long. Corolla tube 3–4 mm long; lobes 3–4 mm long. Style exserted c. 3 mm, with a glabrous yellow indusium c. 1 mm long.
Fruit enclosed in the hardened hypanthium, c. 3 mm long, topped by plumose sepals.
Flowering: usually spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in dry sclerophyll forest, woodland and open sand dune communities; west from the Blue Mtns.
NSW subdivisions: CT, ST, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP, NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. W.A. S.A. N.T.
Text by R. C. Carolin
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
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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