THIS PLANT IS ON THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ALERT LIST
http://www.weeds.gov.au/weeds/lists/alert.html
THIS PLANT IS LISTED BY D.A.F.F. AS 1 OF 17 CANDIDATE SLEEPER WEEDS
IMPORTANT: IF YOU SUSPECT THE PRESENCE OF THIS PLANT, PLEASE REPORT IT BY CALLING 1800 084 881 (local call cost anywhere in Australia)
or
REPORT IT ONLINE.
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Family: Asteraceae.
Form: Herb
Origin: Native of Europe.
Flowers/Seedhead: Heads orange. Flowers summer to autumn.
Description: Perennial herb with flower stems to 15 (rarely to 40) cm high. Leaves mostly basal and without a basal stalk (petiole), narrow-elliptic to broader above the middle, to 15 cm long, both surfaces with coarse stiff long hairs and sometimes star-shaped hairs (difficult to see without a microscope) on lower surface. Flowerheads on stalk with long spreading hairs, short whitish star-shaped hairs and black stalked glandular hairs; bracts around heads (involucral bracts) to 10 mm long, with long simple, numerous star-shaped and few to numerous glandular hairs.
Distinguishing features: Distinguished by stolons with numerous long simple hairs; leaves with margins entire to obscurely toothed; flowerheads 3–15 in dense clusters on a stalk with 0–4 leaves; all small flowers (florets) strap-like and 5-toothed at tip, orange (purple when dry); seeds cylindrical, ribbed, about 2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, with a flattened apex, ribs ending at the apex in minute points, topped by brown bristles (pappus) to 6mm long in one row.
Dispersal: Spread by seed and stolons.
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Orange petal-like florets in a head on a
hairy stalk, Falls Creek, Vic, Decphoto J.R.Hosking
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