Adenostemma lavenia (L.) Kuntze

Asteraceae

Kuntze, C.E.O. (1891) Revisio Generum Plantarum 1: 304.

Sticky Daisy

An erect annual up to 1 m tall, stem subglabrous to hirsute-puberulent, at least above, with loose or spreading, multicellular hairs.

Leaves relatively large and soft, glabrous or inconspicuously hairy, largest ones (commonly borne near or above middle of plant) with ovate or elliptic to more often deltoid to subcordate or subhastate lamina 5-15 x 3-15 cm, margins toothed to subentire, petiole often broadly winged; uppermost leaves sometimes alternate.

Inflorescence openly branched and nearly naked, with more or less numerous, rather small heads on slender peduncles 1-2 cm long; involucre 3-5 mm high, its bracts herbaceous, not much if at all imbricate, rough-puberulent and often somewhat glandular (as also the peduncles), oblong or oblong-spatulate, broadly rounded distally, tending to be connate toward base; styles white like the hairy or glandular-hairy corolla.

Achenes short-clavate, densely stipitate-glandular or glandular-warty, ca. 2.5 mm long; pappus members 0.5-1 mm long, thickened above middle.

Features not available.

Occurs in WA, NT, CYP, NEQ and CEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 350 m. Grows in rainforest often along creek lines and in disturbed places, in creek beds in open forest and various types of woodland.

Two varieties are present in the region: var. lavenia and var. lanceolatum. For more information refer to the Flora of Australia Vol. 37: 600-604 (2015).

Verbesina lavenia L., Species Plantarum Edn. 1, 2: 902(1753), Type: Habitat in Zeylona [Sri Lanka].