Ixodia achillaeoides, commonly known as mountain daisy,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is found in South Australia and Victoria. It is a small shrub with sticky, smooth branchlets and small white flowers in spring and summer.

Ixodia achillaeoides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Ixodia
Species:
I. achillaeoides
Binomial name
Ixodia achillaeoides

Description

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Ixodia achillaeoides is a small understory shrub up to 10–200 cm (3.9–78.7 in) high, stems smooth, sticky and branched. The leaves are variable from linear to egg-shaped, sticky, 5–100 mm (0.20–3.94 in) long, decurrent, dark green on upper surface, paler on the underside and a prominent mid-vein. The inflorescence is an urn-shaped to oval-shaped cluster of 3-80 white flowers with yellow centres at the end of stems. Individual flowers 3–9 mm (0.12–0.35 in) long and 1–8 mm (0.039–0.315 in) in diameter, sessile or on a short peduncle. The fruit is a cypsela 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) long and covered with soft hairs. Flowering mostly occurs in spring and summer.[3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

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Ixodia achillaeoides was first formally described in 1812 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Hortus Kewensis.[5][6] The specific epithet (achilleoides) refers to the similarity of the inflorescence to those of plants in the genus Achillea.[7]

Distribution and habitat

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This species has a scattered distribution in Victoria. A widespread species in South Australia, occurring in woodland, scrubland and forest.[3][4]

References

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  1. ^ "Ixodia achillaeoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Ixodia achillaeoides". Australian Native Plant Society (Australia). Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Ixodia achillaeoides". VICFLORA-Flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Ixodia achillaeoides". eFloraSA-Electronic Flora of South Australia. Government of South Australia-Department for Environment & Water. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Ixodia achillaeoides". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  6. ^ Brown, Robert (1812). Hortus Kewensis (2 ed.). London. p. 517.
  7. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 126. ISBN 9780958034180.