Plants of
South Australia
Cymbonotus preissianus
Asteraceae
Australian Bear's-ear,
Austral Bear's-ear
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
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Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
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Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 4

Prior names

Cymbonotus lawsonianus

Common names

Australian Bear's-ear

Austral Bear's-ear

Etymology

Cymbonotus from the Greek 'kymbos' meaning a boat and 'notos' meaning back, referring to the rounded backs of the achenes. Preissianus named after Johann August Ludwig Preiss (1811 - 1883), botanist and plant collector in Western Australia.

Distribution and status

Found in southern South Australia growing in dry to moist woodlands and open-forests. Also found in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Western Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Stemless perennial herb with ovate, elliptic or oblanceolate leaves to 15 cm long and 5 cm wide; margins deeply or shallowly toothed, green and pubescent above; densely white-tomentose with prominent veins below. Flower heads singular at tip of short stalk with yellow daisy flower. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are pale brown fluffy daisy head. Seed embryo type is spatulate.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between November and January. Collect whole heads that are brown and fluffy or collect just the seeds by plucking it off with your fingers. Mature seeds are easily removed. Place the heads in a tray for a week to dry. Then pluck the seeds from the head with your finders. Viable seeds will be fat and brown. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.