Hoary sunray | |
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Leucochrysum |
Species: | L. molle
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Binomial name | |
Leucochrysum molle |
Leucochrysum molle, commonly known as hoary sunray, [2] is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a small, clumping perennial with grey leaves, yellow flower-heads and is endemic to Australia.
Leucochrysum molle is a clumping, woolly annual or occasionally a perennial to 30 cm (12 in) high. The leaves are narrowly lance-shaped to narrow-oblong, woolly, up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long, 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) wide, grey, rounded or tapering to a point at the apex. The flower heads 2–2.5 cm (0.79–0.98 in) in diameter, borne singly on a slim peduncle 15 cm (5.9 in) long. The outer bracts light brown, inner bracts triangular to oval-shaped or almost circular, yellow, arranged in rows and lamina 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) long. Flowering occurs in spring and the fruit is a cypsela about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, brown and sometimes warty. [2] [3]
This species was first described in 1838 as Helichrysum molle by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham. [4] In 1992 Paul G. Wilson changed the name to Leucochrysum molle and the description was published in Nuytsia. [5] [6] The specific epithet (molle) means "soft". [7]
Hoary sunray grows on a variety of soil types in woodlands, grasslands and sandplains in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. [2] [3]