Cassinia arcuata
R.Br.Odourless or slightly aromatic small tree or more often a shrub, 1.0–2.0(–4.0) m high; branchlets with a dense but loosely cottony, sometimes with occasional emergent multicellular hairs. Leaves spreading, sessile, linear, (2.5–)5–10(–12) mm long, 0.7 mm wide, sparsely cottony becoming glabrous and shining above, cottony beneath, apex rounded with a reflexed apiculum, margins revolute. Inflorescence pyramidal, c. 1.5–8 cm long, 1–5 cm wide. Capitula c. 100–200, yellowish-green or greenish-bronze when fresh, drying white, aging to ochre, narrowly cylindrical in bud, becoming obconical at maturity, 3.5–4.0 mm long, c. 1 mm wide; involucral bracts 13–18, innermost with brown stereome and clear hyaline with an opaque white tip, often with incurved margins; florets (2 or) 3. Cypsela cylindric, 0.8–1.0 mm long, sparsely papillose; pappus bristles 2–3 mm long, apex tapering. Flowers (Sep.) Mar.–May.
LoM, MuM, Wim, VRiv, GipP, Gold, CVU, GGr, HSF. Currently known with certainty from a single population near Patchewollock in the north-west, but historically extending to near the Grampians. Also SA and WA. Recorded from shrubland with Acacia, Callitris and chenopods.
Distinguished from other species of Cassinia in Victoria by a combination of an inflorescence that has a height equal to or longer than its width and white corolla lobes.
The similar species recently described as Cassinia sifton that is widespread and is common in central and north-central Victoria, was previously included within Cassinia arcuata and virtually all Victorian records of C. arcuata prior to 2017 will refer to that species.
Puttock, C.F. (1999). Cassinia. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 742–745. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Orchard, A.E. (2017). A revision of Cassinia (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) in Australia. 7. Cassinia subgenus Achromolaena. Australian Systematic Botany 30(4): 337–370.
