Cotula australis

Cotula australis (Sieber ex Spreng.) Hook.f., Fl. Nov.-Zel. 1: 128 (1852) 128 1852. (syn: Anacyclus australis Sieber ex Spreng.; Cotula venosa Colenso; Lancisia australis (Sieber ex Spreng.) Rydb.; Soliva tenella A.Cunn.; Strongylosperma australe (Sieber ex Spreng.) Less.);

Distribution: India: wide spread weed along rivers, marshy places, etc., between 1500- 2000 m. Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, W. Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala; China, Sri Lanka, Australia, S. Africa and W. USA (as per BSI Flora of India)

Prostrate herb; branchlets ascending. Leaves alternate, pinnatifid, to 1.5 x 0.8 cm; segments linear. Capitulum solitary, terminal, heterogamous, disciform, 4 mm wide; peduncle to 5 cm. Involucre campanulate, 4 mm wide. Phyllaries 2-seriate, oblong, 2 mm. Ray florets 0. Outer florets pistillate, fertile, several-seriate, without corolla. Achenes obovate, 1.2 mm. Inner florets bisexual, tubular, 3 mm, 4-lobed. Pappus minute, auriculate. Stamens 4; anther-base obtuse. Achenes 8 mm, sessile.

Flowering and fruiting: February-December

River banks and marshy places

Pantropical

(Attributions- Dr. N Sasidharan (Dr. B P Pal Fellow), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi from India Biodiversity Portal)
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Cotula australis is a species of plant in the daisy family known by the common names Bachelor’s Buttons,^[2] annual buttonweed,^[3] southern waterbuttons and Australian waterbuttons. This small plant is native to Australia and New Zealand, but it is known in other areas of the world as a common weed (South America, California, Mexico, South Africa, etc.).^[2]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]
Cotula australis grows low to the ground in a thin mat with some slightly erect, spindly stems. The leaves are divided and subdivided into fringelike lobes. The plant flowers in inflorescences only a few millimetres wide containing minuscule yellow disc florets surrounded by greenish brown bracts and rudimentary ray florets that have been reduced to pistils with no stamens or corolla. The fruit is a tiny winged achene about a millimetre wide.^[9](from Wikipedia on 7.6.16)
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Asteraceae Fortnight Part 2-Discoid Heads: Herb 2 for id from Shimla- NS 33 : 9 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (4)
This herb was again shot from Shimla area.. please help in id.. pics are poor, but I hope can give some clues.. Cotula??

I hope Matricaria matricaroides– efi thread

It appears as Cotula australis to me.

Based on the photographs it is very difficult to conform either of the ID. For me it looks … is the best person to decide the species in view of the difference of opinion by … and … … may compare the characters based on the link and details provided by … and decide.

one definitive way to find out. was it erect and not sprawlingt, low growing ( erect : Matricaria matricaroides) the other kinda sprawling. But the best way is gandmother’s way: take the eaves or even the flower head…. crush it and smell: if it smells like something appetizing like say chamomile or even pineapple: its Matricaria matricaroides. In american midwest the young leaves are foraged for salad. otherwise its the noxious weed thin the Australians are trying to get rid of.

I think it does not match with other images (other than those of …) at Matricaria matricarioides
It appears close to images of Cotula australis (as suggested by …) at
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/where-calrecnum=2403

Yes clearly different from my images on Flowers of India and our website.

So … was a sample saved. I guess it was like weed? so abundant.
no harm in taking some herbarium specimen? do you have some? or can you get to the spot again?

Cotula (‎‎‎‎‎Asteraceae (Compositae)‎) page with images of species in efloraofindia : 7 posts by 3 authors.

Pl. go through Cotula (‎‎‎‎‎Asteraceae (Compositae)‎) page with images of species (done by me) in efloraofindia.

If you find any mis-identification, pl. let us know. If anybody can send images of other species of this genera (for incorporation in the website), if any, it will be really nice.

Also, if anybody is interested to take up the activity of inserting images on efloraofindia pages from efloraofindia posts, pl. let us know.

Some photos of Cotula australis from Lahore, Pakistan.. captured by me..

grows abundantly in lawns and parks of Lahore during spring season along with Soliva pterosperma and often cofused with this species. leaves of both species look similar but unlike Soliva, C.australis has dimorphic achenes and head forms on a 5 cm long stalk.

Hope photos will be helpful. Thank you.
Attachments (7)

Thank you very much, …, for these wonderful photos.

My pleasure Sir. i reported first time this species from my area (Punjab Pakistan), that why i photographed its details to confirm its correct identification. Thank you 🙂