Common Everlasting

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©Common Everlasting - Colleen Miller, © Common Everlasting - Elspeth Swan, © Common Everlasting - Cathy Powers

Chrysocephalum apiculatum


Attractive herb varying considerably from a sparse erect plant up to 60 cm high with narrow leaves to much lower sprawling plants with fleshy leaves 1 cm wide. Silver-grey to grey-green stems and leaves covered in cottony white hairs. Golden-yellow button flowers in dense clusters on tips of stems in compact heads to 2.5 cm wide.


Details
Flora Type
Herbs
Former Scientific Name
Helichrysum apiculatum
Other Common Names
Yellow Buttons
Distinctive Features

Cottony cobwebbed stems and cottony hairs on both surfaces of the leaves.

Biology

Perennial. Widespread on a range of well-drained soil types in diverse habitats including woodlands, heathlands and grasslands. May spread by rhizomes to form large colourful patches. Fluffy daisy seeds dispersed by wind.

Native Status
Native
Flowering Time

Sep-Dec

Taxonomy
Phylum
Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants)
Class
Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants)
Order
Asterales
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Chrysocephalum
Species
apiculatum

It is important to use sources from populations with similar forms when carrying out local restoration because of variation in form. Flowers are a nectar source for butterflies. Helichrysum are now recognised as African and Eurasian plants and Australian members have been reclassified into a number of groups including Chrysocephalum.


Interesting Facts
Similar Species

The great variation in form and structure suggests may be several species within the Chrysocephalum apiculatum complex. Intergrades with Chrysocephalum semipapposum and intermediate forms can be difficult to assign to one or other species

Native Status
Native