Opercularia aspera
Gaertn. Coarse StinkweedProstrate to erect herb or subshrub, sometimes tangled amongst other vegetation to c. 1.5 m high; branches ribbed, densely hairy to glabrous, often scabrous. Leaves lanceolate to ovate, mostly 10–60 mm long and 5–20 mm wide, apex attenuate, surfaces scabrous to hairy, particularly on veins, margins flat to recurved; petiole 1–10 mm long. Inflorescences axillary and terminal 10–30-flowered spherical heads; peduncles mostly 5–10 mm long, recurved, shorter than subtending leaves. Flowers bisexual; calyx-lobes linear-triangular, 2–4 mm long, ciliate; corolla 2–4 mm long. Capsules dehiscing by an oblique abscission leaving a star-shaped cavity when seeds shed; seeds compressed-ellipsoid, 2–3 mm long, outer surface coarsely cristate-rugulose, inner surface with 2 smooth longitudinal ridges, rugose Flowers Sep.–Dec.
LoM, Wim, GipP, WaP, CVU, GGr, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, Strz, MonT, HFE, VAlp. Also Qld, NSW. Apart from isolated western collections near Dimboola, Mt Arapiles, Mt Macedon and Portland, apparently confined in Victoria to areas east of Wilsons Promontory. Often grows in sandy soil near watercourses under sclerophyll forest.
Opercularia aspera is a highly variable entity comprised of forms that were originally described as separate taxa by various authors, which were later synonymised or reduced to varietal status by Bentham (1867). Various authors have recognized vars hyssopifolia Benth. and ligustrifolia (Juss.) Benth. based on leaf size. However, there is great variation in leaf size, even on a single plant, and these varieties are not recognized here.
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Rubiaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 616–642. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
SpinningMarkey, A.S. (2018). By their fruit you will recognise them: species notes and typifications in Western Australian species of Opercularia (Rubiaceae: Anthosperminae). Nuytsia 29: 119–140.
