Cassinia furtiva Orchard APNI* Description: Shrub 1.5 m high; bark of older branches not seen; young twigs with dense cottony hairs, with occasional emergent slender uniseriate or biseriate gland-tipped hairs, with the entire indumentum immersed in resinous exudate.
Leaves alternate, spreading, not decurrent, narrow- linear, margins tightly revolute to midrib (appearing terete), 10–25 mm long, 0.7–0.8 mm wide; upper surface mid- to light green, glabrous, sticky; lower surface with midrib glabrous and lamina with dense cottony hairs covered in resinous exudate.
Inflorescence a small rounded compound dichasium of approximately 100–150 flower heads, ochre-coloured. Involucral bracts c. 12–15, spirally arranged in 2–3 whorls, all very thinly membranous; Outer ovate, inner narrow-ovate, Flower heads with 5 florets and c. 2 bracts.
Achene olive brown, cylindrical, 0.8–0.9mm long, 0.4mm diameter, smooth, rounded at base, scarcely tapered at apex, with sparse appressed white twin hairs. Pappus of 18–21 flattened bristles fused only at extreme base, sparsely barbellate on margins; tapering gradually to a filiform tip.
Distribution and occurrence: KNOWN ONLY FROM A SINGLE COLLECTION : from 10 km NW of Warialda, in the North Western Slopes region of NSW. Found in sandy soil in hilly country at c.400m altitude, in a shrubby woodland with Angophora costata and Eucalyptus macrorhyncha.
NSW subdivisions: NWS
The relationships of this species seem to be with Cassinia acciptrum, with which it shares its terete, relatively small leaves, and its preference for relatively dry habitats.The stemomes of the inner involucral bracts are slightly woody and they are no where as massive as those of Cassinia acciptrum.The species epithet, furtiva (hidden, elusive) refers to the lack of success in rediscovering this species in recent times.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: A.E. Orchard (2006) Australian Systematic Botany 19, 183–191
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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