Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Actinotus forsythii
Ridge Flannel-flower, Pink Flannel Flower
Apiaceae
Damp areas in forest, woodland, and heath on shallow rocky soils. Requires disturbance or fire to stimulate germination and flowering. Ranges and eastern edge of the tablelands north from west of Ulladulla.
Annual sprawling herb, with stems to 0.50 m long, sometimes with a perennial rootstock. Flower stalks to 0.1 m high at the seeding stage, hairy. Leaves alternating along the stems, compound, usually 0.5–1.8 cm long, to 10-15 mm wide, with 3-7 leaflets, surfaces more or less hairless. Flowers in head-like clusters 7.5–11.5 mm in diameter, to 20 mm in diameter including the petal-like bracts, with male flowers encircling up to 60 female flowers. Individual flowers pink, tiny. Bracts ('petals') surrounding the flower heads 10-12, white to pink above, green to white-pink below. Flowers January–May, rarely September-October.
Protected NSW.
Vulnerable Vic. Listed in the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, Vic.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Actinotus~forsythii (accessed 2 January, 2021)
This identification key and fact sheets are available as a free mobile application: