Gamochaeta calviceps
(Fernald) CabreraAnnual to c. 25 cm high; flowering stems ascending to erect, often branched. Leaves not (or very weakly) rosetted at base (lower leaves usually withered at flowering) narrowly spathulate to oblanceolate, 15–30 mm long, 2–6 mm wide, obtuse, surfaces almost or quite concolorous, both greyish-cottony, upper leaves commonly longi-tudinally folded and c. falcate, reducing toward (and within) inflorescence. Inflorescence c. paniculate or contracted, but hardly spicate, flower clusters not contiguous (except sometimes the top few), each cluster subtended by a reduced leaf, clusters usually shortly racemose. Capitula 3–4.5 mm long, innermost bracts acute or abruptly acuminate, entire, pale to mid-brown or purplish near apex; bisexual florets 2–4. Cypselas 0.4–0.5 mm long. Flowers mostly Oct.–Jan.
MuM, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, HFE, VAlp. Probably naturalised all States except NT. Native to South America, widely naturalised in temperate countries. Almost co-extensive with, but less common than G. purpurea.
Victorian specimens previously referred to G. subfalcata (Cabr.) Cabr., and to a lesser degree G. pensylvanica, are here included in G. calviceps.
Walsh, N.G. (1999). Gamochaeta. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 816–818. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
