• Source: Cassinia macrocephala

Cassinia macrocephala is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to northern New South Wales. It is a shrub with narrow linear leaves and spherical, white to cream-coloured or yellowish-green heads.




Description


Cassinia macrocephala is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) with a few erect stems. The leaves are narrow linear, 20–70 mm (0.79–2.76 in) long and 0.7–2.0 mm (0.028–0.079 in) wide, depending on subspecies. The flowers heads are spherical, white to cream-soloured or yellowish-green and arranged on a peduncle, each head with five to seventeen white florets surrounded by involucral bracts. The achenes are purplish brown, about 1 mm (0.039 in) long with a pappus of 20 to 27 barbed bristles about 2 mm (0.079 in) long.




Taxonomy and naming


Cassinia macrocephala was first formally described in 2004 by Anthony Edward Orchard in Australian Systematic Botany from specimens collected near Moonbi in 2004. The specific epithet (macrocephala) means "large-headed".
In the same journal, Orchard described two subspecies and in 2006 two further subspecies in a later edition of Australian Systematic Botany, and the names of the four subspecies are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Cassinia macrocaphala Orchard subsp. macrocephala has leaves 30–70 mm (1.2–2.8 in) long, 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide and usually 15 to 17 florets per head;
Cassinia macrocaphala subsp. petrapendula Orchard has leaves 25–55 mm (0.98–2.17 in) long, 0.7–0.8 mm (0.028–0.031 in) wide and usually 5 to 7 florets per head;
Cassinia macrocaphala subsp. storyi Orchard has leaves 60–70 mm (2.4–2.8 in) long, 1.3–1.5 mm (0.051–0.059 in) wide and usually 8 florets per head;
Cassinia macrocaphala subsp. storyi Orchard has leaves 30–35 mm (1.2–1.4 in) long, 0.7–1.0 mm (0.028–0.039 in) wide and usually 9 or 10 florets per head;




Distribution and habitat


This species of Cassinia grows on granite soils in forest in New South Wales. Subspecies macrocaphala occurs on the Northern Tablelands, subsp. petrapendula is only found in a restricted area near Nundle, and subsp. storyi is only known from the type location near Coolah Tops and subsp. tenuis near Inverell.




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Cassinia macrocephala
• Cassinia
• List of Australian plant species authored by Ferdinand von Mueller
• Red-capped robin