Plains Yam Daisy
Microseris scapigera
A small herb with a rosette of leaves at ground level. Leaves are long, narrow and slightly toothed. Bright yellow daisy flowers are held on top of stems up to 30 cm high. Fleshy tuberous root.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Herbs |
| Other Common Names | Murnong, Muurang, Keerang, PunÕyin |
| Distinctive Features | Bright yellow nodding dandelion-like flowers, up to 30 mm wide. Narrow leaves are distinctive _ the similar weedy species have broad lobed ground-hugging leaves. |
| Biology | Perennial.Damp soils in grassland and woodland, sea-level to alpine. Dies down in summer and reshoots in autumn. Once very widespread with early descritions of golden plains but depleted through landclearing and grazing.Highly palatable to stock and virtually eliminated from lowland grassland sites within years of European colonisation. Does not grow in compacted trampled soil. |
| Native Status | Native |
| Flowering Time | Sep-Feb |
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants) |
| Order | Asterales |
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Genus | Microseris |
| Species | scapigera |
The highly nutricous root was once one of the most important food for Aboriginal people in eastern Aust. Once very common across Vic's native grasslands but now rare. From the Greek mikros=small, seris=chicory, lettuce, a reference to the tuberous edible roots of those plants. Flowers provide nectar for butterflies and are a food source for native bees. The Aboriginal names reflect districts where it was once common in Vic such as Kerang, Myrniong and Maribyrnong.
| Interesting Facts | |
|---|---|
| Similar Species | Variable species at least three different subspecies or varieties in Vic with distinct lowland and alpine forms. Microseris lanceolata was first described in Tas and cannot be applied to the Vic species. The introduced weeds Hairy Hawkbit, Leontodon saxatilis and Cat's-ear, Hypochaeris spp. have similar flowers however may have branched flower stems, hairy or scaly leaves, or very noticeable lobes on their leaves. |
| Native Status | Native |