Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Sphaeromorphaea australis

Flowering stems. Photographer Don Wood, Beecroft Peninsula, Jervis Bay Territory

Spent flowers and leaves. Photographer Jackie Miles

Plant. Photographer Jackie Miles

Common name

Spreading nut-heads

Family

Asteraceae

Where found

Wet heath, moist areas in forest, and other temporarily flooded areas. Sometimes adjacent to mangroves in saline habitats. Coastal. Sydney area away from the coast and in the ranges nearby.

Notes

Perennial herb, prostrate or to 0.3 m tall. Stems hairy when young, becoming more or less hairless. Leaves aromatic when rubbed, alternating along the stems, 2.6-7 cm long, 7-21 mm wide, hairless, with resin globules on both surfaces, margins toothed or lobed, teeth to 5 mm long, tips blunt to pointed. Flower heads 4-5.5 mm in diameter, broad hemispherical, with 0 petals, green to yellow to brown, and many pink to purple florets. Flower heads single or in pairs. Flowers all year.

Was Epaltes australis.

PlantNET description:   http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Sphaeromorphaea~australis  (accessed 28 January, 2021)