Olearia laciniifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to inland areas of the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with scattered oblong leaves with small lobes on the edges, and lilac, white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

Olearia laciniifolia
In the Australian National Botanic Gardens

Priority Two — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Olearia
Species:
O. laciniifolia
Binomial name
Olearia laciniifolia
Habit near Hyden

Description

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Olearia laciniifolia is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 0.6–1.2 m (2 ft 0 in – 3 ft 11 in), its stems and leaves covered with simple and glandular hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately, scattered along the branchlets, oblong, 6–35 mm (0.24–1.38 in) long, 1–10 mm (0.039–0.394 in) wide and sessile. The edges of the leaves have small lobes on the edges and the base is wedge-shaped. The heads or daisy-like "flowers" are arranged singly on the ends of branches on a peduncle up to 25 mm (0.98 in) long. Each head is 26–35 mm (1.0–1.4 in) in diameter, with 35–43 lilac ray florets, the ligule 1.4–1.6 mm (0.055–0.063 in) long, surrounding 53 to 90 white and yellow disc florets. Flowering occurs from June to November and the fruit is a flattened, pale brown achene, the pappus with about twenty bristles.[2][3]

Taxonomy

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Olearia laciniifolia was first formally described in 1990 by Nicholas Sèan Lander in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Arthur Robert Fairall, near the Newdegate-Lake Grace road in 1964.[2][4] The specific epithet (laciniifolia) means "flap-leaved", referring to the narrowly-lobed leaves.[2][5]

Distribution and habitat

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Olearia laciniifolia grows in mallee and shrubland around dry lakes in the Coolgardie and Mallee biogeographic regions of inland south-western Western Australia.[2][3]

Conservation status

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This daisy bush is listed as "not threatened" by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Olearia laciniifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Lander, Nicholas S. (1990). "New species of Olearia (Asteraceae: Astereae) endemic to Western Australia". Nuytsia. 7 (2): 149–151. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Olearia laciniifolia". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. ^ "Olearia laciniifolia". APNI. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  5. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 233. ISBN 9780958034180.