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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Boraginaceae
Neatostema apulum

Citation: I.M. Johnston, J. Arnold Arb. 34:6 (1953).

Synonymy: Myosotis apula L., Sp. Pl. 131 (1753); Lithospermum apulum (L.)M. Vahl, Symb. Bot. 2:33 (1791). , Rhytispermum apulum

Common name: Hairy sheepweed, blackweed.

Description:
Annual herbs usually with several branches to 25 cm high from the base, with a distinct tap root, covered mainly with long coarse spreading hairs with a broad base except for finer appressed hairs on the stems; leaves alternate, sessile, linear to linear-oblanceolate at the base to linear-lanceolate on or below the inflorescence, 1-3.5 x 0.2-0.4 cm, usually acute, with cuneate base in basal leaves to almost auriculate below the inflorescence.

Inflorescence with I to several helicoid cymes with sessile flowers arranged in 2 rows; sepals scarcely connate basally, linear-lanceolate, 3-4 mm long, slightly increasing after flowering, pointed; corolla tubular with lobes scarcely spreading, yellow, 4-5 mm long, hairy outside and with scattered hairs inside except for dense tufts in the throat, with nectary scales below and alternating with stamens; lobes shortly oblong to almost square, c. I mm long, with a rounded apex; stamens inserted in the lower third of the corolla tube, with anthers sessile, ellipsoid, c. 1 mm long, without an appendage; ovary 4-lobed, 4-celled with an ovule in each, with a basally inserted style 1-2 mm long with a 2-lobed stigma.

Mericarps with a ridged peak parallel with the style with bulging shoulders on either side, tuberculate-rugose, pale-brown.

image of FSA3_Neatostema_apu.jpg Habit, half flower and mericarp in two views.
Image source: fig. 541A in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Distribution:  S.Aust.: EA, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, SE.   Vic.   Native to the Mediterranean from the Canary Islands to rare in Iraq. Phen: Flowers: mainly Oct.-Dec.

Conservation status: naturalised

Flowering time: No flowering time is available


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

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: Superficially similar to Buglossoides arvensis but distinguished by the absence of hairy ridges alternating with the stamens in the corolla tube, the basal leaves are clustered, the leaves are more or less linear and the base of the coarse hairs is broad and flat.

Author: Not yet available


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