Citation: Engel. & A. Gray, Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5:217 (1845).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Clock weed. Perennial herb with several erect main branches, to 1.5 m high from a basal rosette which soon withers, covered with fine glandular hairs which soon wear off; basal leaves with a petiole 1-4 cm long, with the lamina narrowly elliptic, 4-15 cm long, acute, with a long cuneate base, with widely spaced serrations; cauline leaves sessile or rarely with a petiole to 0.5 cm long, narrowly elliptic, 4-9 cm long, acute, cuneate, with widely spaced serrations, more or less covered with spreading hairs.

Inflorescence a much branched panicle with each spike with few to many flowers each in the axil of a pink to red scale-like deciduous bract; floral tube 0.3-0.6 cm long, quadrangular, slightly swollen at the base and with 4 yellowish-green nectary glands, with fine spreading hairs inside, pink to red; sepals linear, 9-12 mm long, obtuse, often splitting incompletely and bent to one side, pink; petals oblanceolate slightly clawed, 8-12 mm long, acute, white rarely tinged pink; stamens with dorsifixed anthers, c. 5 mm long, yellow tinged red, with a scale-like appendage at the base of each filament; ovary inferior, 4-ridged, 4-celled, each with 1 ovule; style about as long as the longer stamens, hairy, terminating in a stigma with 4 elongate lobes from a basal disc.

Fruit 5-7 mm long, 4-winged, indehiscent.

Distribution:  The species is known only from one garden escape in a disturbed area.   Native to south-western North America. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Dec. — April.

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

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available