Olearia plucheacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect, open shrub with scattered hairy, thread-like to linear leaves, and white and yellow daisy-like inflorescences.

Olearia plucheacea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Olearia
Species:
O. plucheacea
Binomial name
Olearia plucheacea

Description

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Olearia plucheacea is an erect, open shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in), its stems and leaves covered with simple and glandular hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately, scattered along the branchlets, sticky, thread-like to narrowly linear, 12–45 mm (0.47–1.77 in) long and 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) wide. The heads or daisy-like "flowers" are arranged in dense panicles on the ends of branches on a peduncle up to 35 mm (1.4 in) long, the leaves grading to the narrowly conical involucre at the base. Each head is 9.5–13.5 mm (0.37–0.53 in) in diameter with 5 to 7 white ray florets, the ligule 3.5–4.5 mm (0.14–0.18 in) long, surrounding 3 to 5 yellow disc florets. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruit is an achene 1.7–2.4 mm (0.067–0.094 in) long, the pappus with 25 to 38 bristles.[2][3]

Taxonomy

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Olearia plucheacea was first formally described in 1990 by Nicholas Sèan Lander in the journal Nuytsia.[2][4] The specific epithet (plucheacea) means "resembling Pluchea".[2][5]

Distribution and habitat

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This daisy bush grows on stony soil in woodland or shrubland in the Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Murchison and Pilbara bioregions of inland Western Australia.[2][3]

Conservation status

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Olearia plucheacea is listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Olearia plucheacea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Lander, Nicholas S. (1990). "New species of Olearia (Asteraceae: Astereae) endemic to Western Australia". Nuytsia. 7 (2): 157–158. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Olearia plucheacea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. ^ "Olearia plucheacea". APNI. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  5. ^ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 280. ISBN 9780958034180.