Kingdom Plantae Family Apiaceae Scientific name Actinotus minor | Order Apiales Genus Actinotus Rank Species | |
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Similar Actinotus, Actinotus helianthi, Hakea teretifolia, Grevillea buxifolia, Lambertia formosa | ||
Actinotus minor, the Lesser Flannel Flower is a common plant growing in heathland in moist areas not far from Sydney, Australia. A small shrub, 15 to 50 cm tall, with white flowers, similar to the related and more famous Flannel Flower.
Leaves are small and pointed, divided in threes. 6 to 8 mm long, white below the leaf. The leaf stem is up to 12 mm long. Stems are long and slender. Flowers are 12 mm wide, without petals, but they look similar to daisies, with the bracts appearing as petals. Flowering can occur at any time of year, though mostly in summer. Flower stems are between 4 and 12 cm long. The hairy egg-shaped fruit capsule is 2 to 3 mm long.
This plant first appeared in scientific literature in the year 1830, in the Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis, authored by the prominent Swiss botanist, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle.