Desert Daisy

Streptoglossa adscendens is a short-lived, leafy, many branched perennial or prostrate herb to 40 cm (16 in) high with faintly aromatic, glandular leaves and upright stems covered in soft, thin hairs. The leaves are oblong to lance shaped, rarely spoon shaped, 1–5 cm (0.39–1.97 in) long, 0.1–1.7 mm (0.0039–0.0669 in) wide, narrowing gradually at the base, margins smooth or toothed and ending in a point. The flowers are borne on a short peduncle or almost sessile usually in clusters near the apex of leafy branches, consisting of 20-40 pink florets, involucre 0.7–1.1 cm (0.28–0.43 in) long, enclosed by a distinctive whorl of 3 or 4 leaves 0.5–1.5 cm (0.20–0.59 in) long, bracts purplish or green, smooth or with soft hairs. Flowering occurs from March to October and the fruit is dry, one-seeded, ribbed, 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and densely covered with silky, flattened hairs.

Desert daisy grows in a variety of habitats including granite hills and the edges of salt lakes in rocky, clay soils in all Australian mainland states other than Victoria.

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