Common names
Cut-leaf Burr-daisy
Etymology
Calotis from the Greek 'kalos' meaning beautiful and 'otos' meaning ear, after the first species named in the genus, Calotis cuneifolia which has an ear-shaped pappus. Anthemoides means resembling Anthemis, genus name of chamomile.
Distribution and status
Found in one location in South Australia, next to the township of Frances in the SE, growing in cracking clay grassy woodland. Also found in New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium region: South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Stoloniferous perennial herb to 20 cm high, glabrous or with a few small scattered hairs. Basal leaves in a rosette, pinnate with pinnatifid or linear segments, to 12 cm long, lamina glabrous, long-petiolate. Flower-heads to 5 mm diameter, solitary on bracteate scapes to 20 cm long; ray florets white. Flowering September and February. Fruits are round spiny fruit-head. Seeds are red-brown flattened pyramid-shaped seeds to 1.5 mm long with rigid wings on the margins; hairy and spiny at one end. Seed embryo type is spathulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and March. Collect mature seed heads that are dried and turning brown by picking off the heads and placing them in a paper bag. Be careful as the heads are spiny. Leave the heads in the paper bag to dry for at least a week. No further cleaning required if only the heads are collected. If other material were collected, use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Whole heads can be stored with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. This species produce very few viable seeds. Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.