Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Opercularia ovata
Common name
Broad-leaf Stinkweed
Family
Rubiaceaae
Where found
Dry forest, woodland, and grassland. South from Biamanga National Park north of Bega. Coast, ranges, and tablelands.
Notes
Shrub or perennial herb, sprawling. Stems to 30 cm long, usually hairless, sometimes sparsely hairy. Leaves opposite each other, mostly 0.7–2 cm long, 3–10 mm wide, glossy, tips usually pointed, surfaces glossy, upper surface and the midrib on lower surface hairless or with scattered hairs, margins flat to curved down. Flowers 2–4 mm long, with 3-5 petals more or less fused at their bases. Flowers in 10–20-flowered spherical heads, on curved down stalks mostly 2–10 mm long. Flowers Sep.–Dec.
Definite identification of species of Opercularia in part requires microscopic examination of the seeds, beyond the scope of this key.
VICFLORA description: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/232ba7f1-03ce-46a0-823d-5789870e7935 (accessed 2 May 2021)
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