Galvanised burr

Family: Amaranthaceae
Scientific name: Sclerolaena birchii
Description: Plant Form: Bushy perennial herb or shrub. Size: Up to 1 m tall. Stem: Greyish-green, covered in dense woolly hairs. Branching and curving, forming clumps. Leaves: Egg-shaped or oval-shaped with a rounded or pointed tip. Grey to bluish-green. Flowers: Small, inconspicuous, white, found in leaf joins. Have spines attached to the petal-like structures (perianths). Fruit and Seeds: Hard and woolly burrs, up to 5 mm across. With 5 divergent long straight spines or sometimes 4. Contain a single seed which is released when coat breaks down. Habitat: This native species is a weed of agricultural areas. It also inhabits rangelands, semi-arid areas, bare ground, grasslands. Distinguishing Features: Distinguished from other native burrs (Sclerolaena species) by having 5 long straight spines on the fruit and oval or egg-shaped leaves. Impacts: Note - this is a native species that is an agricultural weed. Weed Status: Other Weed Weed Type: Agricultural Lifeform: Herbaceous

Example images for this weed