Waitzia acuminata var. acuminata
Orange ImmortelleAscending to erect annuals, to c. 50 cm high; branches cottony. Leaves c. linear or oblanceolate, 2–10 cm long, 1–6 mm wide, with prominent long, septate hairs. Capitula solitary or in a loose inflorescence, ovoid to campanulate, c. 15–20 mm diam.; outer and intermediate involucral bracts with linear, glandular-hairy and somewhat cobwebbed claws, and scarious, serrate, minutely scabridulous, yellow to reddish lamina; inner bracts erect, shorter than intermediate ones, lamina c. hyaline or very short and yellowish. Cypsela body c. 1.5 mm long, generally papillose, beak 3–4 mm long; pappus bristles 15–20, about as long as corolla-tube. Flowers Sep.–Nov.
LoM, MuM, VRiv, RobP, MuF, OtP, OtR. all mainland States. In Victoria mainly in sandy soil in mallee scrubs and Belah woodlands in the far north-west where locally common. An old specimen labelled ‘Kerang’ is of questionable provenance.
Short, P.S. (1999). Waitzia. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 783–784. Inkata Press, Melbourne.