Senecio minimus Poir. APNI* Synonyms: Senecio minimus Poir. var. minimus APNI*
Description: Erect annual herb, 20–100 cm high, usually glabrous, with few branches below inflorescence.
Leaves ± lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, mostly 5–12 cm long and 10–30 mm wide, margins regularly toothed, upper surface with short closely appressed hairs and green, lower surface glabrous or cobwebby, green; sessile, stem-clasping with toothed auricles.
Inflorescence corymbose; heads cylindrical, 1.5–2 mm diam.; involucral bracts 7–9, 5–7.5 mm long; bracteoles 2 or 3. Florets 12–20, slightly longer than involucre; outer florets filiform; inner florets tubular.
Achenes c. 2 mm long, dark brown; pappus 4–5 mm long.
Flowering: throughout year but chiefly spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread colonizer, chiefly in wet sclerophyll forest; south from Wiangaree S.F. and Tenterfield district.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, CWS
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. W.A. S.A.
Specimens similar to this species but with 11–13 involucral bracts have been separated as S. species L in Jacobs & Pickard (1981). These plants may be hybrids between S. minimus and S. glomeratus.
Text by G. J. Harden Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
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