Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Gonocarpus tetragynus
Common name
Common raspwort, Raspweed
Family
Haloragaceae
Where found
Dry forest, heath, shrubland, grassy areas, and disturbed sites. Widespread.
Notes
Perennial herb to 0.35 m high. Stems cylindrical or weakly 4-ribbed; rough, appressed hairy with stiff hairs. Leaves opposite each other, successive pairs at right angles, 0.5–2 cm long, 1–7 mm wide, rough with stiff hairs, margins thickened, toothed. Male and female flowers on different plants or the same plant. Flowers green to dark pink, red, or purplish, with 4 hooded petals each 2.4–2.8 mm long. Male flowers about 4-5 mm long, with 8 stamens. Female flowers about 2-3 mm long. Flowers in spike-like clusters. Flowers Sep.–Jan. Seed cases silver-grey, oval, 1–1.5 mm long, 8-ribbed with 2–3 oblique thickened regions between the ribs. (needs a hand lens or a macro app on your phone/tablet to see).
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=Gonocarpus~tetragynus (accessed 22 January, 2021)
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