Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Senecio hispidulus

Flowering plant. Photographer Don Wood, Eurobodalla National Park south of Tuross Head

Flowering plant. Photographer Don Wood, Brindabella Road, just west of the ACT, NSW

Leaves. Photographer Richard Hartland, Barfold, Vic

Common name

Hill Fireweed, Rough Fireweed

Family

Asteraceae

Where found

Forest, woodland, and disturbed sites. Widespread.

Notes

Annual or short-lived perennial herb to 1.5 m high, simple or much-branched from a more or less woody base. Stems minutely to densely rough-hairy, hairless higher up the stems. Leaves alternating up the stems, 3.5-15 cm long, 5–35 mm wide, rarely more, lower surface more or less densely covered with hairs ending in long filaments, sometimes tinged purple, upper surface rough, the hairs usually short, margins entire or lobed to dissected, with 2–5 more or less triangular, or occasionally oblong, lobes per side, the lobes more or less toothed, bases with well-developed auricles. Flower heads cylindrical, 4.5–7.5 mm long, with 0 petals, surrounded by 9–13 appressed green bracts. Florets 18–35, scarcely longer than the flower head. Flower heads in 50–300 flowered clusters, compact at first and then becoming open. Flowering: spring to autumn.

Hybridisation between Senecio hispidulus and either subspecies of Senecio glomeratus is likely.

All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.

PlantNET description:  https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Senecio~hispidulus (accessed 23 April, 2021)