Gynura drymophila (F.Muell.) F.G.Davies var. drymophila

Forster, P.I. & Thongpukdee, A. (1988) Austrobaileya 2(5): 562.

Herb up to 60 cm tall. Stems clothed in multicellular hairs.

Leaf blades narrowly obovate, 6-12 x 1.5 -2.5 cm, petioles absent or very short. Lamina surfaces clothed in hairs. Lower surface of the leaf blade often purplish in colour.

Flowers in heads arranged in loose panicles or racemes. Heads enclosed in hairy bracts, each bract 12-15 mm long. Calyx (pappus) consists of white barbed hairs 13-15 mm long. Corolla tube about 15 x 1 mm, white at the base but yellow-orange at the apex. Corolla lobes triangular, about 0.5 x 0.5 mm. Stamens fused to form a tube around the style. Anthers about 2 mm long, attached about 5 mm below the top of the tube. Ovary 3.5-4 mm long. Style about 12 mm long. Stigmas 2, hairy, each stigma about 2 mm long.

Fruits produced in dense heads. Individual fruits brown, about 6 x 1 mm, longitudinally ridged. Pappus (sepals) white, 14-15 mm long. Embryo 4-4.5 mm long. cotyledons 2-2.5 mm long, slightly longer than the radicle.

Features not available.

Occurs in NEQ, CEQ and southwards as far as northern New South Wales. Altitudinal range from 10-800 m. Found in rainforest margins, in microphyll vine forest, sclerophyll forest, open Eucalyptus forest also in woodland, shrubland and coastal heathland.