Eschenbachia leucantha (D.Don) Brouillet

Chen, Y. & Brouillet, L. (2011) Flora of China 20-21: 556.

Fleabane

Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub 1-2 m tall.

Leaf blades about 8-12 x 2-3.5 cm, slightly sticky to the touch and when crushed emit a faint odour like that of Marigolds (Calendula spp.) Leaf blades hairy on both the upper and lower surfaces. Small globular droplets of resin or oil (produced by the glandular hairs) visible with a lens on both the upper and lower surface of the leaf blades. Margins with about 8-15 teeth on each side.

Inflorescence a panicle of heads. Each head with a few hermaphrodite flowers near the centre and surrounded by many more female flowers. Each flower subtended by about 18 pappus hairs. Corolla tube hairy on the outer surface. Anthers fused to one another but the filaments free. Pollen +/- white. Stigmas two, hairy or papillose.

Fruits hairy, plumes about 4 mm long, armed with microscopic barbs or teeth. Seeds minute, less than 1 mm long. Endosperm oily. Embryo white.

Cotyledons about 1-2 x 1-1.5 mm. Stem above the cotyledons clothed in erect white hairs. First pair of leaves ovate or obovate, apex obtuse and apiculate, base attenuate, margins sometimes toothed. Both the upper and lower surfaces sparsely clothed in pale hairs. At the tenth leaf stage: leaves lanceolate or elliptic, margins coarsely toothed, both the upper and lower surfaces hispid, hairs pale coloured, apex acute, rarely obtuse or apiculate, base attenuate. Leaf blade about 30-60 x 15-30 mm, petiole about 10-15 mm long. Seed germination time 15 to 125 days.

Occurs in CYP, NEQ, CEQ and southwards into north eastern New South Wales. . Altitudinal range from near sea level to 1100 m. Grows in disturbed areas and along roads particularly in upland rain forest.