Common name: Prickly Knawel
Scleranthus pungens R.Br. APNI*
Description: Stiff perennial herb with ascending to erect stems.
Leaves linear-lanceolate to subulate, 5–12 mm long, rigid, pungent-pointed, spreading and ± keeled.
Flowers sessile in terminal clusters; each flower subtended by a wide, lanceolate, pungent-tipped bract. Calyx lobes pungent, spreading, as long as or longer than the tube, pungent. Stamens 5, staminodes 5.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Inland NSW, near White Cliffs and Mootwingee. Also inland SA. Grows in dry sandy soils.
NSW subdivisions: NFWP
Other Australian states: S.A.
Text by A. Doust (1990); edited KL Wilson (Feb 2014; Sept 2015) Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990); Cowley and West, Flora Vic 3 (1996)
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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