Flowers and young burrs. Photo: Don Wood, ACT

Young burrs. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Scottsdale Bush Heritage Reserve near Bredbo, NSW

Ripe burrs. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Stackpoole State Forest NE of Googowi, NSW

Flowering and fruiting plant. Photo: Don Wood, ACT

Stunted plant. Photo: Chris Lindorff, Weddin Mountains National Park west of Cowra, NSW

Common Name

Native Carrot; Australian Carrot; Carrot Burrs

Family

Apiaceae

Notes

Annual forb to 60cm tall.  Leaves opposite each other on the stem, and clustered at the base of the plant.  Leaves with a sheath at the base, overall 2-5cm long, dissected, the lobes linear, surface and edges rough.  Flowers tiny (less than 3mm across), white, pink, purple or red, with 5 petals, in umbels which are stalkless or with 2-5 branches, each with 1-6 flowers at the top, at the tops of the stems and at the bases of the leaves, often close to the base of the plant.  Burrs with many hooked spines.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 541

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Daucus~glochidiatus

Note that the various forms of Daucus glochidiatus mentioned in the PlantNET description are not recognised federally or in SA.