Leaves and flowers (var. biflorus). Photo: Chris Lindorff, Ned's Corner Station, Lake Cullulleraine, Vic

Common Name

Twin-horned Copperburr (var. biflorus), Many-horned Copperburr (var. cephalocarpus)

Family

Chenopodiaceae

Notes

Annual or perennial forb or shrub to 40cm tall. Leaves 0.5-1cm long, linear to flattened cylindrical, hairy. Flowers small (less than 3mm across), hairy, in groups of 2-8 at the bases of the leaves. Fruiting body hairy, with two or more horns, spines absent. Rare Vic (var. biflorus).

Descriptions (pages 248-249), line drawing of fruiting bodies (Figs. 46-6, 46-7 page 253) and photo (page 248) (as Bassia biflora var. biflora and Bassia biflora var. cephalocarpus) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales.

This description is out of date. It states that Dissocarpus biflorus var. biflorus has 2 flowers per cluster and that Dissocarpus biflorus var. cephalocarpus has 3 or more. PlantNET, reflecting current thinking, states that var. biflorus has flowers in clusters of 2 or 3, rarely 4, and that var. cephalocarpus has flowers in clusters of 4-6, rarely more.

The Australian Plant Name Index notes that there is some intergradation between the varieties, particularly in western NSW.

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