Flora of New Zealand Series

French cudweed

Erect or ascending annual herb, 5-30 cm tall. Stems tomentose, branched at base or only above to form infl. Cauline lvs tomentose on lower surface, densely tomentose on upper, linear, acute, apetiolate and broad-based, somewhat involute, (5)-12-25 × 0.5-1-(1.5) mm. Capitula c. 1-2 mm diam., in sessile clusters of 2-8-(12), terminal or in axils of branches; lvs subtending clusters linear-lanceolate, clearly exceeding clusters. Involucral bracts tomentose, c. 1.5 mm long. Outer scales tomentose outside, herbaceous with membranous margin, c. 3 mm long, keeled at base; inner scales almost glabrous, membranous, obtuse to acute at apex, c. 3 mm long. Disc yellowish. Achenes of outer ♀ florets glabrous, 0.8 mm long; achenes of inner florets minutely and sparsely papillate, 0.5-0.6 mm long; pappus caducous, denticulate, free at base.

S.: locally common in Fairhall, Landsdowne Station, near Renwick, Wither Hills and Redwood Pass (Marlborough), and at Rolleston (Canterbury).

Europe, N. Africa, to Siberia and S. and C. Asia 1946

Depleted grassland, riverbeds, waste places.

FL Nov-Jan.

The sp. has been previously known in N.Z. as Filago gallica.