Beach sunflower
Wollastonia biflora, Fam. Asteraceae
Straggling perennial herb, or scandent subshrub (0.8-) 1.0-3.0 (-4.0)m tall, stems decumbent or scrambling over adjacent plants, not rooting at nodes, glabrous (sparsely hairy at nodes). Synonyms Wedelia biflora and Melanthera biflora.
| Weed Category: | |
| Weed: | No |
| Form or habit: | Herb |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Leaf: | Ovate, petiolate, aromatic; lamina triplinerved, 6-11 (-24) x 3-6 (-12)cm wide, often succulent, dark glossy green. Base rounded to truncate; tip usually attenuate; both surfaces subglabrous or sparsely appressed pubescent, with hairs fine, 0.5 mm long, separated by at least their own length; margins entire or very finely or coarsely serrate. Petiole 25–35(–70) mm long. |
| Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Flower colour: |
Yellow |
| Flower description: | One to three flower heads, 1.5-3.0cm, on peduncles 1.5-3.0 cm long. Involucral bracts, lanceolate to ovate, 3.5-4.5mm long, appressed hairy. Paleae oblanceolate to subspathulate, 5 x 2m, conduplicate and clasping floret, membranous, striate and glabrous basally, green and abaxially scabrous apically, very shortly apiculate, persistent. Eight to 12 (sometimes 15) 3-lobed, with several longitudinal veins, sparsely pilose abaxially ray florets, yellow corollas. 20-30 (-70) 5-lobed, disc florets, lobes very shortly scabrous abaxially, densely and shortly bearded adaxially. Anther thecae black (or dark brown) with yellow appendages. |
| Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
| Fruit colour: |
Black, Grey |
| Fruit: | |
| Fruit description: | Grey-black (white when immature), corky, obovoid achenes, 3.5-4.5 x 2.0-2.7 mm wide, 3-angled (ray), 4-angled (disc), apically truncate and shortly hairy; pappus of usually one erect, antrorsely barbed, deciduous awn, 2mm long. |
| Habitat: | Coastal dune, woodland. |
| Distribution | Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, New Guinea, Malesia, Asia, Africa. |
| Food source for: | |
| Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
| Origin: | Australia, New Guinea, Malesia, Asia, Africa. |
| Notes: | |
| Information sources: | Atlas of Living Australia (2022) Wollastonia biflora (L.) DC., Orchard AE. (2013) The Wollastonia/Melanthera/Wedelia generic complex (Asteraceae: Ecliptinae), with particular reference to Australia and Malesia. Nuytsia 23. |
