in Field, Geogr. Mem. New South Wales 358 (1825) APNI
Taxonomic status:Accepted
Occurrence status:Present
Establishment means:Native
Erect perennial herb to 60 cm high, with short rootstock and clusters of blackish tubers. Basal leaves to 45 cm long, (bi)pinnatisect, segments linear, spine-tipped. Main flowering stem arising from base of the plant, 1–3-branched from a pair of opposite spiny bracts 7–35 cm above ground level and dichotomously or ternately branched from succeeding pairs of bracts, producing a rather rigid dichasial inflorescence, the strongly ribbed flowering stems and flowering heads usually metallic blue; flowering heads c. ovoid, mostly c. 10(–15) mm long, c. 10 mm wide; bracteoles of involucre and apex 15–20 mm long, those subtending flowers conspicuous, exceeding them by 8–15 mm; petals bluish-purple, apex fimbriate. Fruit 4–5 mm long with crowded, thin, long, acuminate vesicular scales Flowers Nov.–Jan.
Brid, CVU, DunT, EGL, GipP, Glep, Gold, GGr, HNF, HSF, LoM, MuF, MuM, NIS, OtP, VRiv, VVP, Wim. Also SA, NSW, Tas. Occurs widely in grasslands and grassy woodlands, usually on heavy cracking clay soils, becoming uncommon in some areas through habitat depletion. .
Bioregion | Occurrence status | Establishment means | |
---|---|---|---|
Lowan Mallee | present | native | |
Murray Mallee | present | native | |
Wimmera | present | native | |
Glenelg Plain | present | native | |
Bridgewater | present | native | |
Victorian Volcanic Plain | present | native | |
Victorian Riverina | present | native | |
Murray Fans | present | native | |
Gippsland Plain | present | native | |
Otway Plain | present | native | |
Goldfields | present | native | |
Central Victorian Uplands | present | native | |
Greater Grampians | present | native | |
Dundas Tablelands | present | native | |
Northern Inland Slopes | present | native | |
East Gippsland Lowlands | present | native | |
Highlands-Southern Fall | present | native | |
Highlands-Northern Fall | present | native |
State |
---|
South Australia |
Queensland |
New South Wales |
Australian Capital Territory |
Victoria |
Tasmania |