Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Opercularia hispida
Common name
Hairy stinkweed
Family
Rubiaceaae
Where found
Forest, woodland, gardens, rocky sites, and stream banks. Widespread.
Notes
Perennial herb or shrub to 0.3 m high or prostrate. Stems arising from a central taproot, cylindrical, grooved, with sparse to dense bristly hairs. Plant has an unpleasant smell. Leaves opposite each other, 1–3.5 cm long, 4–12 mm wide, tips pointed, surfaces rough on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, midrib rough, margins curved or rolled down. Flowers green and purplish, 1.5–3 mm long, with 3-5 petals more or less fused at their bases. Flower heads spherical, with 15–30 flowers, on curved down stalks mostly 2–15 mm long. Seeding heads 4-10 mm in diameter. Flowering: spring–summer.
Definite identification of species of Opercularia in part requires microscopic examination of the seeds, beyond the scope of this key.
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=Opercularia~hispida (accessed 29 January, 2021)
This identification key and fact sheets are available as a free mobile application:
