Habitat: bank, clay, cliff, coast, dry, gravel, hill, margin, open, pasture, ridge, roadside, rock outcrop, sand, shaded, shrubland, slope, track, wasteland

Dispersal: Seed

Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
Distribution from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium. CC-BY 3.0 AU
 Recognition
  • a low-growing short-lived plant with semi-upright flowering stems up to 30 cm tall.
  • its leaves (5-25 cm long and 2-6 cm wide) are somewhat elongated in shape with toothed to deeply lobed margins.
  • these leaves have hairless or slightly hairy upper surfaces and whitish, felty undersides.
  • its flower-heads (2-6 cm across) have dark-purplish coloured centres and numerous yellow 'petals' (1-2.5 cm long).
  • its 'seeds' (2-2.5 mm long) and densely covered in a brownish or pinkish coloured fluffy wool.

[From: Environmental Weeds of Australia]

 Images
Image: P.B. Heenan © Landcare Research 2012
Image: P.B. Heenan © Landcare Research 2012
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Image: Trevor James © Trevor James
Weeds Key – interactive key to the weed species of New Zealand
 References
Connor, H.E. 1977: The Poisonous Plants in New Zealand. Edition 2. Government Printer, Wellington. [as Cryptostemma calendula (L.) Druce]
Howell, C. 2008: Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. DOC Research & Development Series 292: 42.