Cassinia maritima Orchard APNI* Description: Erect shrub 0.3–3.0 m high; young stems green to yellow-brown, viscid, densely scabrous with spreading ± gland-tipped hairs and sparser cottony hairs.
Leaves terete with slightly flared bases, 25–45 mm long, 0.8–0.9 mm wide, margins revolute to midrib, tip shortly mucronate; upper surface viscid, appearing glabrous; lower surface densely white tomentose with glabrous midrib. Midrib sunken above, prominent below.
Inflorescence a large flat-topped corymb 50–120 mm diameter, with several hundred heads, each 4.5–5.0 mm long. Involucral bracts cartilaginous, arranged in 5 vertical ranks of 3 or 4, straw coloured with white tips. Inner bracts with hyaline midsections, yellow-brown bases and occasionally notched or lacerate tips. Florets 4–6 per head, cream.
Achenes white, 1.0–1.2 mm long, weakly 3 or 4 ribbed. Pappus of 12–16 persistent bristles.
Flowering: January –March.
Distribution and occurrence: Occurs in coastal scrub and open forest within 20km of the sea from Eden south to Victoria.
NSW subdivisions: SC
Other Australian states: Vic.
Although maritime in distribution, this species is found in damper forest a few hundred metres to several kilometres inland, not on the foreshore.
Text by K. Ismay
Taxon concept: A. E . Orchard 2004
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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