Common name: Lemon Beauty-heads
Calocephalus citreus Less. APNI*
Description: Perennial herb; branches slender, erect, from ± tufted base, c. 15–60 cm high, felt-like, light grey.
Leaves mostly opposite, linear to lanceolate, usually 10–20 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, tomentose, often sheathing at base; upper leaves smaller, sometimes alternate, usually appressed to stem.
Compound heads globose to oblong, bright golden yellow; general involucral bracts absent; partial heads with 1–3 florets, bracts 8–11, outermost smaller, flat to conduplicate, apex yellow, glabrous or woolly near midrib.
Achenes 0.7–0.85 mm long, brown, papillose; pappus of 4–9 bristles ± plumose at apex, united at base into a small ring.
Flowering: late spring to autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in clay or loam soils in grassland or open woodland, widespread but rarely abundant.
NSW subdivisions: NC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, SWS, SWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by E. A. Brown Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
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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