Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Gonocarpus micranthus
Common name
Creeping Raspwort (subsp. micranthus).
A raspwort (subsp. ramosissimus)
Family
Haloragaceae
Where found
Dry forest, woodland, heath, grassy areas, roadsides, along streams, and in swampy areas.Widespread.
subsp. micranthus: Widespread.
subsp. ramosissimus: Coast, ranges, and tablelands, north from Ulladulla. Occasionally elsewhere.
Notes
Perennial herb to 0.6 m high, or sprawling to prostrate. Stems cylindrical, thin and wiry, hairless, slightly hairy, or slightly rough. Leaves opposite each other, 0.3–1.5 cm long, 3–11 mm wide, bases rounded or cordate, margins thickened, toothed with many small teeth, surfaces more or less hairless. Flowers with 4 reddish to purplish hooded petals each 0.8–1.5 mm long, and 8 stamens. Flowers in spike-like clusters. Seed cases reddish to grey, oval, up to 1 mm long, 8-ribbed, smooth. (needs a hand lens or a macro app on your phone/tablet to see).
subsp. micranthus: Plants rooting at the nodes, mat-forming, prostrate or sprawling, up to 0.1 m high. Leaves usually less than 0.8 cm long. Flower clusters narrow, unbranched or scarcely branched (only to the second order).
All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.
subsp. ramosissimus: Plants erect, 0.25–0.6 mm high. Leaves more than 0.8 cm long. Flower clusters wide, branching to the third or fourth order.
Data deficient Vic..
PlantNET description of species and key to subspecies: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Gonocarpus~micranthus (accessed 22 January, 2021)
This identification key and fact sheets are available as a free mobile application:
