Calocephalus francisii

Calocephalus francisii, commonly known as fine-leaf beauty-heads,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a small annual with yellow globular-shape flowers and is endemic to Western Australia.

Fine leaf beauty-heads
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Calocephalus
Species:
C. francisii
Binomial name
Calocephalus francisii

Description

edit

Calocephalus francisii is an annual herb with some branches upright to downward, mostly smooth but hairy toward the flower heads. The leaves are arranged alternately, sessile, almost linear, lance-shaped or narrowly elliptic-shaped, 5.25 mm (0.207 in) long, 0.5–3 mm (0.020–0.118 in) wide, occasionally semi-succulent and smooth. The flower heads may vary in shape from globe, narrowly oblong to oval shaped, 5–27 mm (0.20–1.06 in) long and 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) in diameter. The heads consist of 15-60 flowers, yellow or white translucent bracts in rows of 2 or 3, outer 4 or 5 bracts in a single row. The inner 5-9 bracts in one or two rows, corolla has thickened margins, 5 lobes, tube 1.6–2.3 mm (0.063–0.091 in) long and 5 stamens. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruit is dry, one-seeded, obovoid, 0.28–0.32 mm (0.011–0.013 in) in diameter, pale or pinkish brown.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

edit

This species was first formally described in 1863 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Pachysurus francisii in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.[4] In 1867 George Bentham changed the name to Calocephalus francisii and the description was published in Flora Australiensis.[5][6] The specific epithet (francisii) is in honour of George William Francis.[7]

Distribution and habitat

edit

Fine-leaf beauty-heads grows in sandy situations, outcrops, ridges and salt flats mostly on the west coast of Western Australia.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Calocephalus francisii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Spooner, Amanda. "Calocephalus francisii". Florabase-the Western Australian Flora. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  3. ^ Short, P.S (2016). "Calocephalus francisii" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 29: 177. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  4. ^ von Mueller, Ferdinand. "Pachysurus francisii". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  5. ^ Bentham, George. "Calocephalus francisii". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
  6. ^ Bentham, George (1867). Calocephalus francisii (3 ed.). London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 576.
  7. ^ George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 207. ISBN 9780958034197.