''Brachyscome aculeata'', commonly known as hill daisy is a tufted perennial herb in the family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

and 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 else ...

to Australia. It has mostly white daisy-like flowers, a yellow centre, variable shaped leaves and flowers in spring to autumn.

Description

''Brachyscome aculeata'' is a herb with ascending branches, tall with leafy stems. The leaves may be either smooth or with hairs, lower leaves lance shaped, broader at the apex or narrow and rounded at the end, long, wide, usually with a straight edge but occasionally with teeth or lobes. The uppermost leaves are smooth edged, narrow to lance shaped. The flowers are white, rarely pink, daisy-like across with a central yellow disc. The 12-20 flower

bracts In botany Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the An ...

are arranged in rows, egg-shaped to narrow lance shaped, long and wide, edges rounded or sharply pointed. The dry fruit are one-seeded, egg-shaped, long, wide, either smooth or a finely warty surface. Flowering occurs from October to April.

Taxonomy and naming

The species was originally named ''Bellis aculeata'' in 1806 by

Jacques Labillardière Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière (28 October 1755 – 8 January 1834) was a French biologist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the La Pérouse expedition. He pub ...

and the description published in ''

Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen ''Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen'' is a two-volume work describing the flora of Australia. Facsimiles of the originals can be found in the onlinBiodiversity Heritage Library (Vol.1)anVol 2) The author was the French botanist Jacques Labillar ...

''. In 1832 Christian Friedrich Lessing changed the name to ''Brachyscome aculeata'' and the description was published in ''Synopsis Generum Compositarum''. The specific epithet (''aculeata'') is derived from the Latin word ''aculeatus'' meaning "prickly" or "sharp-pointed".

Distribution and habitat

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

hill daisy is found growing in dry locations in the southern tablelands from Wingello to Kosciuszko National Park. In

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

mainly found in the east of the state growing in wet locations, in the

Grampians The Grampian Mountains (''Am Monadh'' in Gaelic) is one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, that together occupy about half of Scotland. The other two ranges are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The Grampian rang ...

region, also at higher altitudes but rarely into open herb fields.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15550320

aculeata Aculeata is a subclade of Hymenoptera containing ants, bees, and stinging wasps. The name is a reference to the defining feature of the group, which is the modification of the ovipositor into a stinger. However, many members of the group canno ...

Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (Australia) Plants described in 1832