Common name: Rantil, Niger Seed
Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass. APNI* 
Description: Annual herb to 2 m high, minutely hairy.
Lower leaves opposite, narrowly ovate to obovate 3–10 cm long, 15–25 mm wide, mostly toothed, stem-clasping.
Heads in panicles; heads c. 15 mm diam.; outer involucral bracts broad-ovate, inner obovate. Ray florets yellow; ligules elliptic, 11–15 mm long, 3-lobed.
Achenes c. 4 mm long, brown or black.
Flowering: April–May.
Distribution and occurrence: Uncommon weed in the Sydney and Grafton areas, records show that the few collections have resulted from imported bird seed. Native of Ethiopia.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC
Other Australian states: *Qld *S.A.
Cultivated in Africa and India for oil.
Text by L. Murray
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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