''Asterolasia elegans'' is a species of slender, erect shrub that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to a restricted area of New South Wales. It has dense, woolly, rusty star-shaped hairs on its stems, lance-shaped leaves densely covered with white and rust-coloured hairs on the lower surface, and white flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to nine in leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s or on the ends of branchlets, the back of the

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s densely covered with woolly, white hairs.

Description

''Asterolasia elegans'' is an erect, spindly shrub that typically grows to a height of with its stems densely covered with woolly, rusty-red, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped to elliptical, long and wide on a petiole long. The leaves are covered with white and rusty-red star-shaped hairs, densely so on the lower surface. The flowers are arranged singly or in

umbel In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

s of up to nine in leaf axils or on the ends of branchlets, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long. The

s are white, elliptical, long, densely covered with white, star-shaped hairs on the back and there are ten stamens.

Taxonomy

''Asterolasia elegans'' was first formally described in 1990 by Lyn McDougall and Marianne F. Porteners in the journal '' Telopea'' from specimens collected by McDougall near

Maroota Maroota is a suburb to the north-west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Maroota is located 49 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government areas of The Hills Shire and ...

in 1989.

Distribution and habitat

This species grows in moist places on hillsides in forests north of Sydney.

Conservation status

''Asterolasia elegans'' is only known from seven populations over a distance of and is listed as "endangered" under the Australian Government ''

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The ''Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and cultu ...

'' and the New South Wales Government '' Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016''. The main threats to the species include inappropriate fire regimes, habitat loss, weed invasion and grazing by feral animals and domestic livestock.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15388341 elegans Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 1990