Common name: Pigmy Sunray
Rhodanthe pygmaea (DC.) Paul G.Wilson APNI* Synonyms: Helipterum pygmaeum (DC.) F.Muell. APNI*
Description: Ascending sparsely woolly annual to 6 cm high, branching at base.
Leaves linear-triquetrous, 5–10 mm long, c. 0.3 mm wide.
Heads sessile, solitary or clustered, narrow-ellipsoid, c. 7 mm long; involucral bracts hyaline to pale brown, glabrous, the innermost often with a short white lamina c. 1 mm. Florets 4 or 5; outer 2 bisexual the others male. Corollas narrow-cylindrical, c. 3 mm long, very shortly 5-toothed.
Achenes turbinate, c. 2.5 mm long, silky pilose; pappus persistent, bristles 5–7 mm long.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in a wide range of communities, most abundant on heavy soils in open seasonally wet areas, south from Tibooburra.
NSW subdivisions: CC, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Vic. W.A. S.A.
Text by Paul G. Wilson 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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