Woolly New Holland Daisy
Vittadinia gracilis
Rounded much-branched perennial herb or subshrub to 40 cm. Stems and leaves covered with dense white cottony hairs. Small daisy flowers with mauve petals (ray florets) and fluffy seedheads.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Herbs |
| Distinctive Features | Broad leaves up to 4 cm usually folded together lengthways, with two pairs of teeth in the margin at the broadest part of the leaf. Fine white woolly hairs on stem and leaves. |
| Biology | Perennial herb or subshrub. Short-lived. Grasslands on loam soils and on limestone-derived soils, and in a range of woodlands and forests. Fluffy seeds dispersed by wind. |
| Native Status | Native |
| Flowering Time | Oct-Jan |
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants) |
| Order | Asterales |
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Genus | Vittadinia |
| Species | gracilis |
Some can only be identified using a hand lens looking at the shape and texture of the seed. After the Italian fungi expert Carlo Vittadini (1800-1865). Listed as threatened in Tasmania.
| Interesting Facts | |
|---|---|
| Similar Species | Very similar to V. cuneata but distinguished by white soft cottony hairs on the stem and leaves whilst V. cuneata has stiff straight hairs. |
| Native Status | Native |