Pussy Tails

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Pussy Tails - Elspeth Swan | Pussy Tails - Elspeth Swan | Pussy Tails - Colleen Miller | Pussy Tails - Colleen Miller

Ptilotus spathulatus

Small herb to 10 cm tall, with ground-hugging stems. Leaves wide and spoon-shaped to 6 cm long. Flowerhead pale green to brown.

Details
Flora Type
Herbs
Distinctive Features

Dark green, spoon-shaped leaves. Fluffy flowerheads up to 7 cm long, held at the ends of stems up to 6 cm tall.
Biology

Perennial with woody rootstock on well-drained soils. Widespread in dry grasslands but not common. Also woodlands and mallee.
Native Status
Native
Flowering Time

Oct-Dec and Mar-Jun
Taxonomy
Phylum
Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants)
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Ptilotus
Species
spathulatus

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

The taproot was eaten by Aborigines. From the Greek ptilotos = feathery, referring to the fluffy flowerheads.

Interesting Facts
Native Status
Native