Flowers and leaves. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Weedin Mountains National Park, NSW

Flowers and burrs. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Australian National Botanic Gardens, ACT

Plant. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, near West Wyalong, NSW

Plant. Photo: Don Wood, Carnarvon Station Bush Heritage Reserve, via Augathella, Qld

Common Name

Purple Burr-daisy, Blue Burr -daisy

Family

Asteraceae

Notes

Perennial forb to 60cm tall or prostrate, more or less woody at the base.  Leaves at the base of the plant soon withering, the leaves then alternating up the stems.  Stem leaves with basal lobes, 0.8-4cm long, 5-20mm wide, flat, rough hairy, tipped with 3-11 teeth.  Flowers with 27-45 blue to mauve, purple, or white 'petals', and yellow centres. Flowers at the bases of the leaves, or at the ends of the stems, single or in loose groups of 2-3.  Burrs hairless, with 2-4 spines.  Rare Vic.

Description and photo (pages 657-658) and line drawing of seed (Fig. 65n, page 654) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales

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