Flower head. (ssp. gaudichaudii) Photo: Kevin Thiele, Oakland Hills, WA

Flower head. (ssp. gaudichaudii) Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, north of Louth, NSW

Plant. (ssp. gaudichaudii) Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, north of Louth, NSW

Plant. (ssp. gaudichaudii) Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, north of Louth, NSW

Common Name

Paper Foxtail

Family

Amaranthaceae

Notes

Annual forb to 50cm tall.  Basal leaves to 5mm wide, flat, soon withering.  Stem leaves alternating along the stem, 1-3cm long, to 2mm wide, linear to flat, almost hairless, with a straight stiff point.  Flowers reddish when young, then yellowish greenish to yellow or whitish, with 5 'petals'.  Flower heads spherical to oval, solitary at the ends of the stems.

Ptilotus gaudichaudii ssp.gaudichaudii has more than 10, and up to 30 flowers in each flower head.

Ptilotus gaudichaudii ssp. parviflorus has up to 10 flowers in each flower head.

Description and photo (as Ptilotus gaudichaudii var. gaudichaudii) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 286

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