Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Euchiton involucratus
Star cudweed, Common cudweed
Asteraceae
Forest, woodland, gardens, disturbed ground, and moist and swampy sites. Widespread.
Perennial or biennial herb to 0.80 m high. Stems hairy. Basal leaves 6–20 cm long, 3–11 mm wide, withered before flowering. Stem leaves alternating up the stems, 3–20 cm long, 2.5–10 mm wide, tips pointed, base slightly stem-clasping, margins entire and often curved down, midvein distinct, upper surface green and hairless, lower surface with a silvery tomentum. Bracts appressed to the individual flower heads pale brown and dry and membranous at the top, green at the base, and red to purple in between. Outer florets purple, inner florets purple or colourless. Flower heads bell-shaped or cup-shaped, 1–3.5 mm in diameter, 3-4 times as long as broad, in a dense cluster 10-25 mm in diameter of more than 20 heads. Flower cluster at the top if the stem, surrounded by 3–6 or more leafy bracts much longer than the heads. Often smaller clusters at the base of the upper leaves. Flowering: throughout the year.
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=Euchiton~involucratus (accessed 22 January, 2021)
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