Olearia cuneifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is an erect shrub with lance-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves and white, daisy-like inflorescences.

Olearia cuneifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Olearia
Species:
O. cuneifolia
Binomial name
Olearia cuneifolia

Description

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Olearia cuneifolia is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high, its stems covered with glandular hairs and sticky. The leaves arranged alternately, sessile, wedge-shaped to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long, 2.0–5.2 mm (0.079–0.205 in) wide and more or less glabrous. The heads or daisy-like "flowers" are arranged singly on the ends of branchlets and are sessile with an involucre 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) long and 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) wide at the base. Each head has 14 to 21 ray florets, the ligules white, 17–19 mm (0.67–0.75 in) long, surrounding 28–42 disc florets. Flowering has been observed in March, May, September and October and the fruit is a silky-hairy achene, the pappus with creamy-white bristles in two rows.[2]

Taxonomy and naming

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Olearia cuneifolia was first formally described in 2015 by Anthony Bean and Michael T. Mathieson in the journal Austrobaileya from specimens collected by Mathieson near Mungallala.[3] The specific epithet (cuneifolia) refers to the wedge-shaped leaves.[2]

Distribution and habitat

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This daisy bush grows in forest and woodland between Roma and Charleville in north Queensland.[2]

Conservation status

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Olearia cuneifolia is listed as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Olearia cuneifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Bean, Anthony R.; Mathieson, Michael T. (2015). "Olearia cuneifolia A.R.Bean & M.T.Mathieson (Asteraceae: Astereae), a new species from Queensland" (PDF). Austrobaileya. 9 (3): 404–407. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  3. ^ Lander, Nicholas S. "Olearia cuneifolia". APNI. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Species profile - Olearia cuneifolia". Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 22 March 2022.