Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Craspedia alba

Common name

White billy-buttons

Family

Asteraceae

Where found

Moist depressions in grassland, near streams, and alpine bogs, often with the base of the plant partly submerged. Kosciuszko National Park, the mountains to the north, and ACT.

Notes

Herb, rhizomatous, to 0.15 m high. Flower stalks red with dense silky hairs. Leaves mostly basal, a few alternating up the stem, 1.5–5 cm long, 2–5 mm wide, flat or folded lengthwise; upper surface brown with a silvery covering of appressed long fine hairs, lower surface similar or almost hairless, margins sometimes wavy, and becoming hairless or silky. Upper leaves with the bases extending downwards on the stems. Flower head white to cream, hemispherical, 10–15 mm in diameter, with about 30–60 partial heads; partial heads with 4 or 5 florets with 0 petals. Flower head hemispherical, single. Flowering: summer.

Protected NSW.

Vulnerable Vic.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Craspedia~alba (accessed 7 January, 2021)