Flower heads. Photo: Chris Lindorff, Ned's Corner Station Reserve, Lake Culluleraine, Vic

Flowers and seeds. Photo: Russell Best, NW of Melbourne, Vic

Plant. Photo: Chris Lindorff, Ned's Corner Station Reserve, Lake Culluleraine, Vic

Leaves. Photo: Chris Lindorff, Ned's Corner Station Reserve, Lake Culluleraine, Vic

Common Name

Bushy Groundsel, Groundsel, Branching Groundsel

Family

Asteraceae

Notes

Shrub to 2m tall. Leaves somewhat fleshy, alternating up the stems, linear to flat, 2-15cm long, 1-20mm wide, hairless to glaucous, more or less hairless except in newer growth, margins entire to toothed, margins rolled under. Upper leaves sometimes with basal lobes. Flowers with 0 petals. Flower heads cylindrical, in clusters of about 5-40 at the tops of the stems. Rare Vic.

Differs from Senecio lanibracteus in that the length/width ratio of mid-stem leaves is more than 7, the leaves are rolled downwards, and the number of florets per flower head are 8-12, sometimes to 14.

Description above mostly derived from Thompson, I.R., (2004) Taxonomic studies of Australian Senecio (Asteraceae): 2. The shrubby, discoid species and the allied radiate species Senecio linearifolius. Muelleria 20: 81, Fig 7b (map page 80), Fig 9 (photo of dried specimen page 83)

Description and photo (as Senecio cunninghamii) in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales pages 674-675

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