Flora of New Zealand Series

bur daisy

Much-branched, erect or spreading perennial herb, 10-40 cm tall. Stems ridged, almost glabrous to moderately hairy, becoming glabrous and woody toward base. Lvs all cauline in mature plants, mostly linear-oblong and entire, acute with cartilaginous apex, apetiolate and obtuse at base, sometimes narrow-triangular or spathulate, or shallowly pinnatifid with (1)-2-4 lobes, sparsely hairy, 3-12-(20) × 0.5-2-(3); basal lvs long-cuneate and usually pinnatifid; uppermost lvs smaller, entire. Capitula 5-8 mm diam., solitary on long peduncles. Involucral bracts oblong to triangular, sparsely hairy, 2-2.5 mm long. Ligules yellow, 1.5-3 mm long. Disc yellow. Achenes obpyramidal, ribbed on 2 angles, tuberculate on faces, glabrous, 2.5-3.5 mm long including awns, forming a globose bur-like head 7-10 mm diam.; pappus of 2, long, ± erect, barbed awns with 2 groups of 1-6 short, horizontal, barbed awns between.

S.: 1 early collection from Nelson, lower Waihopai Valley (Marlborough), lower Waipara R. and Port Hills (Canterbury), Georgetown area (N. Otago).

Australia 1883

Dry eroded hill slopes, grasslands, waste places.

FL Aug-Jun.

This troublesome weed persists in the few areas where it has established. The first record for N.Z. is that of Robert Brown who described Glossogyne hennedyi, a new sp. based on material of C. lappulacea. Bur daisy has also been recorded for N.Z. as C. cuneifolia and C. hispidula.