Decumbent to ascending, usually distinctly cottony annual, to c. 15 cm diam. and 15 cm high; adventitious roots rarely produced. Leaves ±spathulate, 3–10 mm long, 1–5 mm wide, usually with very slender petiole-like bases, shallowly toothed or subentire. Inflorescence a single sessile capitulum, terminal and/or cauline, closely subtended by 1–4 leaves or leaf-like bracts. Capitula ±globular, 2.5–5 mm diam.; involucral bracts 1–1.6 mm long; receptacle depressed-hemispherical. Female florets c. (50–) 110–230; corolla 0.35–0.5 mm long. Bisexual florets (6–) 9–11; corolla 0.6–0.7 mm long. Fruiting capitula readily disintegrating; bracts widely spreading to slightly deflexed; receptacle 1–1.5 mm diam., with a thin pith layer contained entirely within the dome, not extending below base of involucre. Achenes broadly cuneiform, 0.8–1.1 mm long, c. 0.4–0.5 mm wide, depressed-truncate at apex, usually acutely 4-angled or almost narrowly winged (rarely 5-or 6-angled), with short subappressed hairs on angles, the intervening faces concave; pericarp prominently thickened and opaque in distal c. 40%.
Occurs on margins of streams, waterholes, etc,.usually on clayey soils.
Home