''Brachyscome iberidifolia'', the Swan River daisy, is an annual herb found in Western Australia. Occupying a wide range, the species spreads out as fields. The ''

Bellis ''Bellis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The group is native to Europe, the Mediterranean and northern Africa. One species has been introduced into North America and others into other parts of the world. The genus ...

'' daisy form and colours were familiar to Europeans when discovered and they have since become a popular garden plant. Poor or sandy soils do not inhibit a showy display, the species is hardy and adaptable.

Description

Brachyscome iberidifolia - Flickr - Kevin Thiele

The annual species is erect, many branched, forming fields of plants up to 400 mm (15 or 16 inches) in height. The leaves of ''Brachyscome iberidifolia'' are fully divided, each having long and narrow segments from the midrib. The

ray floret 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 we ...

s are varied in colour, white through pink and blue to violet. The typical daisy arrangement is seen in the

flower head A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

, which appear between August and May in endemic examples. The plant still appears as'' 'Brachycome iberidifolia' '', the generic name was reverted to include the 's' in the original publication. It was first described as ''Brachycome iberidifolia'' by George Bentham in 1837.

Distribution

Widespread, found on sands or clay, and tolerant of salinity. It favours watercourses and depressions near granite, but is widespread on sandhills and other harsh coastal environments. North to the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a g ...

region, extending into Murchison, Gascoyne, Coolgardie regions, and recorded in the

Gibson Desert The Gibson Desert is a large desert in Western Australia, largely in an almost "pristine" state. It is about in size, making it the fifth largest desert in Australia, after the Great Victoria, Great Sandy, Tanami and Simpson deserts. Th ...

. Numerous records in the coastal regions of the west and south, it has also been found in the Abrolhos at

East Wallabi Island East Wallabi Island is an island in the Wallabi Group of the Houtman Abrolhos, located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of mainland Australia. History East Wallabi Island played an important role in the story of the shipwreck and massacre. ...

. It is often found amongst the mosaic of wildflowers which appear in the heaths, woodlands, and plains of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

Cultivation

Often cultivated and grown from seeds.

Cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s include 'Blue Star'.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q882776 Asterales of Australia Eudicots of Western Australia iberidifolia