Common name: Austral toadflax, Austral Toad-flax, Australian Toadflax
Thesium australe R.Br. APNI*
Description: Erect perennial herb to 40 cm high, pale green to yellow-green, glabrous; stems 1-several, little-branched, wiry, striate.
Leaves linear, usually 1–4 cm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, apex acute, midrib decurrent, sessile; lowest leaves scale-like.
Flowers solitary, axillary, green-yellow; peduncle 1–3 mm long, subtended by leaf with 2 opposite bracteoles; pedicel very short. Receptacle cup-like to globose, 1 mm long. Tepals oblong, 1–1.5 mm long, finely keeled, green with white margins. Style 1 mm long.
Fruit ± globose, 2–2.5 mm diam., reticulate-striate, ± glaucescent, crowned with persistent tepals.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in grassland or woodland, often in damp sites; widespread but rare and possibly endangered.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS
Other Australian states: Qld Tas.
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Vulnerable; Commonwealth EPBC: Vulnerable
Text by B. Wiecek 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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