Common name: Tiny Daisy, Rayless Daisy
Brachyscome perpusilla (Steetz) J.M.Black APNI* Synonyms: Brachyscome perpusilla var. tenella (Turcz.) G.L.Davis APNI*
Brachycome perpusilla var. tenella (Turcz.) G.L.Davis APNI*
Description: Annual herb, 3–23 cm high, major branches ascending to erect, glabrous or with stalked glandular hairs.
Leaves often subamplexicaul, 5–25 mm long, entire and linear or pinnatisect and often with three or more lobes in the upper half and 2–6 short, narrow lobes or teeth on each side of the lower half of the leaf, glabrous or with stalked glandular hairs.
Involucre 1.8–3.9 mm diam.; involucral bracts 5–14, widely elliptic to elliptic, widely obovate to obovate or widely ovate to ovate, 2–3.4 mm long, 1–2.4 mm wide, glabrous or with stalked glandular hairs. Ray florets 4–17; corolla 0.7–1.3 mm long, with 3 or 4 veins, 2 or 3-lobed, white or pale greenish-white. Disc florets 5–17; yellow or greenish-yellow.
Achenes thin, flat, obovate, 2.1–2.8 mm long, brown or yellowish-brown; lateral surfaces smooth or very minutely papillate, with scattered, apically curled biseriate eglandular hairs; wing-like margins not inflated, divided into 8–17 narrow lobes, each lobe terminating in the same hairs. Pappus absent.
Flowering: Flowers August to November.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread, found throughout much of southern Australia and also in Tasmania. Recorded in a diversity of habitats.
NSW subdivisions: CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Vic. S.A. W.A.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Short, P.S. (2014) A taxonomic review of Brachyscome Cass. s.lat (Asteraceae: Asterae), including descriptions of a new genus, Roebuckia, new species and infraspecific taxa. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens 28: 71.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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