Sp. Pl. 813 (1753) APNI
Taxonomic status:Accepted
Occurrence status:Present
Establishment means:Naturalised
Perennial, to 1.2 m high, glabrous or pubescent with short crisped hairs; stem erect, much-branched. Basal leaves petiolate, oblanceolate, 7–30 cm long, 1–12 cm wide, apex acute, margins toothed to pinnatisect; cauline leaves sessile, reduced to scale-leaves at extremities of branches. Capitula 2.5–3 cm diam., 1–3 in axils of reduced leaves; involucre 9–12 mm long; outer bracts lanceolate, straw-coloured at base, green at apex; inner bracts linear-lanceolate, c. twice as long as outer ones, mostly green. Florets 15–30, sky-blue, rarely pink or white; ligule 15–25 mm long. Cypselas 2–3 mm long, striate, pale brown or mottled; pappus of numerous scales 0.2–0.4 mm long. Flowers mainly spring and summer.
*CVU, *EGL, *EGU, *GipP, *Glep, *Gold, *HNF, *HSF, *MuF, *MuM, *NIS, *OtP, *VRiv, *VVP, *WaP, *Wim. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas, New Zealand. Native to Europe, northern Africa and Asia. A widespread weed of roadsides, wasteland and other disturbed sites, particularly in areas where formerly cultivated. .
Used as a salad vegetable or as animal fodder; the roasted roots were once used as a coffee substitute or additive.
Bioregion | Occurrence status | Establishment means | |
---|---|---|---|
Murray Mallee | present | naturalised | |
Wimmera | present | naturalised | |
Glenelg Plain | present | naturalised | |
Victorian Volcanic Plain | present | naturalised | |
Victorian Riverina | present | naturalised | |
Murray Fans | present | naturalised | |
Gippsland Plain | present | naturalised | |
Otway Plain | present | naturalised | |
Warrnambool Plain | present | introduced | |
Goldfields | present | naturalised | |
Central Victorian Uplands | present | naturalised | |
Northern Inland Slopes | present | introduced | |
East Gippsland Lowlands | present | naturalised | |
East Gippsland Uplands | present | naturalised | |
Highlands-Southern Fall | present | naturalised | |
Highlands-Northern Fall | present | naturalised |
State |
---|
Western Australia |
South Australia |
Queensland |
New South Wales |
Australian Capital Territory |
Victoria |
Tasmania |