Actinotus forsythii
Annual, diffuse herb with procumbent stems to 50 cm long. Leaves glabrous (sparsely pubescent when young); lamina 0.5–1.5 cm long, 1.0–1.5 cm wide, 3–7-lobed, lobes lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acute; petiole 4–25 mm long. Scape procumbent to ascending, to 10 cm long in fruit, with white spreading hairs; inflorescence terminal or axillary, 1–2 cm diam.; involucral bracts 10–12, spreading, elliptic, c. 7 mm long, white to pink and densely silky hairy above, green to white-pink and sparsely hairy below. Flowers to c. 80 per umbel, all unisexual; outer flowers male, petals papery; inner flowers female, sepals minute and forming skirt on ovary, petals absent. Fruit ovate 1.5–2.5 mm long, dark grey-brown, with a light brown margin, villous and with 2 median ridges on both faces, sepals persistent. Flowers Jan.–May (rarely Sep.–Oct.).
VAlp. Also NSW. Known only from the Nunniong Plateau in subalpine mallee woodland. This species requires disturbances such as fire or soil upheaval to stimulate germination and flowering.
Jobson, P.K. (1999). Actinotus. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 264–265. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
