Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 892 (1753).

Synonymy: Cotula integrifolia Hook. f., Fl. Tasm. 1:192 (1856).

Common name: Waterbuttons, button weed.

Description:
Spreading perennial to 60 cm high forming dense mats; stems creeping to ascending, robust, branched, glabrous, succulent; leaves oblong, sheathing at the base, mostly pinnatifid with entire subacute lobes, 1-8 cm long, glabrous, somewhat fleshy; upper leaves smaller, entire; peduncles erect, filiform, 2-8 cm long, exceeding the leaves; capitula heterogamous, 8-12 mm diam.; involucral bracts numerous, lanceolate, obtuse, 3-4 mm long, glabrous; receptacle flat; female florets uniseriate, numerous, pedicellate, without corollas.

Achenes flat, oblong, 1.5-2 mm long, densely glandular, with a broad scarious wing; inner fiorets very numerous, fertile, hardly pedicellate; corollas bright-yellow; achenes somewhat flattened, narrowly oblong, 1.5-2 mm long, glandular, with narrow marginal fidges.

Published illustration: Sainty & Jacobs (1981) Waterplants of New South Wales, p. 94.

Distribution:  Grows as an emergent aquatic in fresh and saline water at the edges of pools and streams, and as smaller plants on marshy ground. S.Aust.: LE, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   All States except N.T.   Native to South Africa, widely naturalised in temperate regions of the world. Conservation status: native Flowering time: mainly July — Nov.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: C. coronopifolia has been widely regarded as a native of Australia; however, as the Australian plants are conspecific with the South African species, and occur in disturbed and seral communities with other naturalised aliens, it is here treated as naturalised. (See also P.M. Kloot (1983) J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 6:97.)

Author: Not yet available