Flower heads. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: AN Schmidt-Lebuhn, Koorawatha Nature Reserve near Cowra, NSW

Common Name

Spoon Cudweed

Family

Asteraceae

Notes

Annual forb 2-12cm tall or prostrate. Leaves opposite each other or in clusters or whorls, stem clasping, 0.2-1.8cm long, 3-12mm wide, flat, the upper surface green and hairless, lower surface hairy, the edges wavy, usually with a straight point. Flowers green to brown, with 0 petals. Individual flower heads top-shaped, in stemless spherical or hemispherical clusters of 6-20 (that look like single flower heads) at the bases of the leaves and at the ends of the stems.

Differs from Stuartina hamata in that the tips of the bracts below the flower heads have short brown curved-back points not extending from the mid-rib.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 687

PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Stuartina~muelleri