Flowering plant. Australian Plant Image Index, photo: Murray Fagg, Cocoparra National Park, NSW

Flowering plant. Photo: Russell Best, north of Sunbury, Vic

Flowering plant. Photo: Russell Best, Riddells Creek NW of Melbourne, Vic

Common Name

Pussy Tails, Cats Paws

Family

Amaranthaceae

Notes

Perennial forb, prostrate. Leaves somewhat succulent, clustered at the base of the plant and alternating along the stems. Basal leaves 2-10cm or more long, to 10mm wide, flat, almost hairless, tips blunt. Stem leaves smaller, tips more pointed. Flowers brownish to green, covered in yellow hairs, with 5 'petals'. Flower heads oval becoming cylindrical, solitary or clustered at the ends of the stems.

Description and photo (as Ptilotus spathulatus) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 289

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