Brachyscome trisecta P.S.Short APNI* Description: Almost prostate perennial herb, 5–15 cm high, longest branches to c. 60 cm long, essentially glabrous.
Leaves basal and cauline, initial basal leaves apparently lost at maturity, alternate, mainly of 3 (rarely 5) primary lobes which terminate petiole like stalks which are c. 5–30 mm long.
Involucre c. 2.5 mm diam. Involucral bracts c.12–18, in about 1 row, ovate to narrow-ovate, lanceolate or oblanceolate, c. 1.1–1.4 mm long, 0.25–0.6 mm wide, mostly herbaceous, apices and margins hyaline, glabrous. Ray florets (8) 12– 14, in 1 row, 4.7–5.3 mm long, white, veins 3 or 4.
Achenes obovate in outline, 1.3–1.7 mm long, 0.65–0.9 mm wide, immature fruit greenish-yellow, maturing dark brown; c. 20–30, often coalescing, tubercles on each surface; pappus a minute crown of erect teeth c. 0.1 mm long, whitish, and basally barely united in a ring.
Flowering: Flowering and fruiting is only recorded for January and February.
Distribution and occurrence: Known from just two collections, south from Bulga, and Watagan State Forest west of Cooranbong.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC
The epithet is in reference to the common number of primary divisions of a leaf, divisions which extend to or about the midrib. It is also appropriate as the terminal lobe is cut into three – although usually no more than to about two thirds the breadth of the lobe – and in turn is often apically 3-toothed, i.e. there are 3 levels of subdivision.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: P.S. Short (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: 139-141 Fig. 45
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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