Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Acaena novae-zelandiae

Flower head. Australian Plant Image Index, photographers RG & FJ Richardson, near Steiglitz, Vic

Seeding stems. Photographer Don Wood, Corin Road, ACT

Common name

Bidgee-widgee, Biddy biddy

Family

Rosaceae

Where found

Dry forest, woodland, grassy sites, moist weedy areas, gullies, and roadsides. Widespread.

Notes

Perennial herb, creeping, to 0.30 m tall, stoloniferous. 'Seeds' with many hooked spines, which stick to clothing. Stems densely to sparsely hairy. Leaves alternating along the stems, compound, 2–11 cm long, with 7-11 leaflets, the largest leaflets 0.8-2 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, upper surface shiny green and hairless or sparsely hairy, lower surface glaucous and densely to sparsely hairy with appressed hairs; margins toothed and curved down. rachis often red. Flowers in globular heads 4-15 mm in diameter, with many small flowers, each with 4 sepals and 0 petals. Stamens creamy white. Styles white, turning purple. Seeding head 20-40 mm in diameter, reddish.

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acaena~novae-zelandiae (accessed 2 January, 2021)