Erect annual to c. 15 cm high; branches glabrous. Leaves mainly alternate, but the lowermost opposite, linear or oblanceolate, 5–20 mm long, c. 0.5–1 mm wide, glabrous or with a few, scattered, minute glandular hairs, midrib obvious. Capitula homogamous, c. cylindrical, 3–4 mm long, in loose inflorescences; involucral bracts several-seriate, straw-coloured except for greenish midrib, sometimes purplish, glabrous, lacking petaloid laminae. Florets 10–20 per capitulum, bisexual. Cypselas c. 1 mm long, sparsely papillate; pappus caducous, of 10–20 long-plumose, shortly connate bristles Flowers Aug.–Nov.
LoM, MuM, Wim, Gold, CVU. Also WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW. In Victoria mainly confined to mallee areas of the north-west, but extending through dry Box-Ironbark forests and whipstick scrubs in the Wedderburn, Bendigo, Rushworth, and Long Forest near Bacchus Marsh.
Source:
Short, P.S. (1999). Rhodanthe. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 752–757. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
