Friends of Black Hill and Morialta Incorporated

Chrysocephalum sp. in Black Hill, Morialta and Horsnell Gully Conservation Parks

COMPOSITAE

Chrysocephalum apiculatum
Black Hill CP, 17 October 2004

Chrysocephalum
everlastings

Tbe name Chrysocephalum is made from two Greek words; Chryso meaning golden and kephale meaning head. Clearly a reference to the flowers.

These plants were previously known under the genus Helichrysum.

The Chrysocephalum species we have on our parks are:

• Chrysocephalum apiculatum
• Chrysocephalum baxteri
• Chrysocephalum semipapposum

Chrysocephalum apiculatum 15 November 2002.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum 15 November 2002.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum
common everlasting, yellow buttons

Apiculatum means shortly-pointed. This plant is a small perenial, which can take on a variety of form, depending upon growing conditions. They may grow from 7 to 60cm tall, with a woody rootstock. The leaves and stems are hairy, giving a silvery look to the plant.

Morialta Conservation Park 8 November 2002.

Black Hill Consevation Park 16 November 2007.

The flowers come in groups at the ends of the stems, and are bright yellow, 7 to 15mm in diameter. They are composite flowers, with bright yellow papery bracts surrounding the golden-yellow, tiny flowers. References say the flowers may occassionaly be white, or sometimes tinged pink. If you have seen specmens this colour in the parks, send a photo to the Friends for posting on the website!
The flowers also seem popular with butterflies, and Vanessa kershawi, the painted-lady butterfly is often seen sipping nectar on still sunny days.

Chrysocephalum baxteri
Morialta CP, 8 November 2008

Fire Response
A population of Chrysocephalum apiculatum survives a fire event by regrowing from seed. The seeds are widely dispersed, and while a fire will kill all of the parent plants, the impact on the seed stored in the soil is unknown. Despite this, there is moderate confidence that a population of Chrysocephalum apiculatum would survive a fire event. After a fire, the entire propulation would be of the same age, and seeds only germinate immdediately after a disturbance. There is low confidence a new population would get established due to the poor performance of seedlings against competition.

Chrysocephalum baxteri
fringed or white everlasting Named after William Baxter (died circa 1836), a 19th centuary English gardener and botanical collector.

Growing up to 40cm tall, a perenial with a woody base from which each year's stems grow. These may be numerous, and are unbranched, a single flower forms on the end of the stem. The stems and undersided of the leaves have wooly white hairs.

The flowers, which as mentioned, form one to a stem are 2 to 3 cm in diameter, and like the other chrysocephalum are compound, the true flowers are bright yellow on a disk surrounded by white, papery bracts.

Chrysocephalum baxteri Morialta Conservation Park 8 November 2008.

Chrysocephalum baxteri Morialta Conservation Park 8 November 2008.

Chrysocephalum semipapposum
clustered everlasting, yellow buttons

Black Hill Conservation Park 21 September 2008.

Black Hill Consevation Park 21 September 2008.

The name means partly pappose (partly with down or fluff)

A small perenial, quite variable, but up to one and a half metres tall. It has a woody rootstock. the leaves growing on alternate sides of the stems.

The flowers appear on groups at the ends of the stems,and also at the ends of branches, and may be dull white to bright yellow.

Black Hill Conservation Park 21 September 2008.

Black Hill Consevation Park 21 September 2008.

Return to Black Hill plant page 1

Return to Horsnell Gully plant page 1

Return to Morialta plant page 1

Extra photos added 23 February 2009

Sources: eFlora of South Australia, anbg.gov.au, Encyclopeadia of Australian Plants.