Erigeron pusillus
Nutt.Annual to c. 1 m high; stem somewhat striate, glabrous or sparsely finely hispid, usually unbranched below inflorescence. Lower leaves oblanceolate, mostly 2–5 cm long, 2–8 mm wide, sparsely hispid to finely strigose mostly on margins and midribs (sometimes with a few longer spreading hairs near the base), entire to shallowly crenate; upper leaves smaller, narrow-oblanceolate to linear, often entire. Capitula numerous in an elongated or narrowly pyramidal panicle; involucres cylindric, 3–4 mm long; bracts narrow-lanceolate to linear, glabrous (outermost sometimes with 1 or 2 hairs), often tipped purplish, pale on the inner face (except for narrow brownish midrib) at maturity; receptacles 1.5–2 mm diam., usually more or less smooth. Outer florets with small white (or purplish tinged) ligules c. 1 mm long. Cypselas narrowly elliptic to oblong, c. 1–1.3 mm long, margins often orange-brown; pappus bristles free, cream, c. 2–3 mm long. Flowers late summer and autumn.
Wim, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, HSF. Naturalised all States except NT. Native to South America. First collected in Victoria from Coode Island in 1921, and subsequently from near Lakes Entrance; perhaps overlooked elsewhere.
Erigeron pusillus may be a diminutive, less hairy growth form of E. canadensis, and is treated by some authors as E. canadensis var. pusilla (Nutt.) Cronquist.
Spinning