Cassinia Sifton
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''Cassinia sifton'', commonly known as sifton bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia and an introduced species in other places. It is a multi-stemmed shrub with linear leaves, and more or less conical heads of 50 to 200 deep red to pale brown flowers. It is sometimes confused with '' Cassinia arcuata'' and authorities differ on its distribution.


Description

''Cassinia sifton'' is an erect, aromatic, multi-stemmed shrub that typically grows to a height of , its branchlets with a few cottony hairs. The leaves are linear, mostly long and wide with the edges rolled under so that the leaves appear needle-shaped. Between fifty and two hundred heads are arranged in more or less conical groups, each head long, greenish-white at first, later red to brown. Flowering mostly occurs from February to April and the achenes are long with a pappus of bristles about long.


Taxonomy and naming

''Cassinia sifton'' was first formally described in 2017 by Anthony Edward Orchard in '' Australian Systematic Botany'' from specimens collected about east of
Stockinbingal Stockinbingal is a town in the South West Slopes and Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Cootamundra–Gundagai Regional Council local government area and on the Burley Griffin Way. At the , Stockinbingal had a pop ...
. It was previously included in ''C. arcuata''


Distribution and habitat

Sifton bush is a
pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...
plant, especially on poor soils, and often invades overgrazed pastures. It is widespread in central New South Wales and widespread and common in Victoria. In New South Wales it invades disturbed areas such as roadsides, cleared and ploughed areas and is classed as a weed. It has been introduced to the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q65933765 arcuata Asterales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (Australia)