Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Chrysanthemoides monilifera

Common name

Boneseed, African boneseed, Bitou bush

Family

Asteraceae

Where found

subsp. moniliferaForest, woodland, grassy areas, roadsides, disturbed sites, coastal dunes, and near streams. Coastal north from Moruya. Mountains west of Sydney.

subsp. rotundata:  Forest, woodland, and dunes. Coastal and including Sydney area inland from the coast.

Notes

Introduced shrub to 3 m tall, occasionally a tree to 6m tall. Fruit fleshy. Young growth hairy to white woolly, becoming hairless. Leaves somewhat fleshy, alternating up the stems, 2-9 cm long, 10-55 mm wide, hairy, glossy green, margins entire to toothed, tips pointed or blunt. Flower heads 15-30 mm in diameter overall, with 4-13 'yellow petals', and yellow centres, bell-shaped behind the 'petals', single or in clusters of 3-12. Fruit purplish black when ripe. Flowers most of year, mainly Winter to Summer.

A Weed of National Significance. General Biosecurity Duty with additional restrictions all NSW. Pest plant ACT. Noxious weed Vic.

CONTROL ORDER (subsp. monilifera): If you see this plant report it to your local control authority or the NSW DPI Biosecurity Helpline 1800 680 244

subsp. monilifera: Shrub to 3 m tall, occasionally a tree to 6m tall. Leaves 2-9 cm long, 10-50 mm wide. Leaf margins usually toothed. Leaf bases gradually narrow towards the stems.

subsp. rotundata:  Shrub to 2 m tall. Leaves 2-8 cm long, 15-55 mm wide.  Leaf margins usually not toothed. Leaf bases abruptly narrow towards the stems.

PlantNET description of species and key to subspecies: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Chrysanthemoides~monilifera (accessed 7 January, 2021)