Flowers and leaves (ssp. monilifera). Australian Plant Image Index, photo: CG Wilson, south of Adelaide, SA

Flowers and leaves (ssp. rotundata). Photo: Don Wood, south coast, NSW

Plant (ssp. monilifera). Australian Plant Image Index, photo: CG Wilson, south of Adelaide, SA

Common Name

Boneseed, Bitou Bush

Family

Asteraceae

Notes

Introduced shrub, occasionally a tree, to 6m tall. Leaves slightly fleshy. Leaves alternating up the stems, flat, 2-8cm long, 7-50mm wide, hairless, young growth hairy, margins entire to toothed, tips pointed. Flower heads yellow, with 4-13 'petals', in dense clusters of 3-12 at the ends of the branches. Fruit purplish black when ripe. A weed of national significance. Noxious weed all of NSW (ssp. monilifera). Noxious weed Western division (ssp rotundata). Declared plant in SA (both subspecies). Noxious weed Vic (both subspecies).

Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera has been recorded from east of Wentworth (Dareton area) and Mildura. Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata has been recorded from around Mildura and in Kinchega National Park.

Ssp. monilifera is upright, has relatively narrower leaves (2-6cm long, 7-30mm wide), the edges are usually toothed, and the base gradually narrows towards the stem, and the flowers usually have 4-8 'petals'.

Ssp. rotundata is sprawling to upright, has relatively wider leaves (3-7cm long, 15-50mm wide), the edges are usually not toothed, and the base abruptly narrows towards the stem, and the flowers usually have 5-13 'petals'.

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 682

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

Weeds of Australia Biosecurity Queensland Edition description (ssp. monilifera): http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/Chrysanthemoides_monilifera_subsp._monilifera.htm

Weeds of Australia Biosecurity Queensland Edition description (ssp. rotundata): http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/Chrysanthemoides_monilifera_subsp._rotundata.htm