FORBS OF HEPBURN SHIRE AND THE WOMBAT FOREST

"Forbs" referring to non-grassy and essentially non-woody species

(listed in order of botanical name)

Acaena novae-zelandiae | Bidgee Widgee

A common spreading groundcover in the Rosaceae family, found in bushland, agricultural and town settings. Leaves comprised of several dark green, toothed leaflets. Globular clusters of tiny white flowers. Seeds are burrs that disperse by attaching to animals (and socks and shoelaces). A much maligned species, but can be important for protecting soils from erosion and dessication. Widespread and common throughout Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest.

Acaena x ovina | Australian Sheep's Burr

A clumping herb with flowering stems to 60cm. Leaves and stems covered in small hairs. Leaves separated into numerous toothed leaflets. Spikes of tiny white flowers followed by sharply spiny fruits with spines of uneven length. The uneven length of spines and abundant hairs on leaf and stem surfaces distinguishes from A. echinata. Scattered throughout Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest.

Ajuga australis | Austral Bugle

Local form typically prostrate with short trailing stems. Dark green leaves, hairy, narrow at base, edges wavy. Lobed violet-coloured flowers in the leaf-axils of the trailing stems. Scattered throughout Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest.

Asperula scoparia | Prickly Woodruff

An open or mat-forming herb. Fine straight hairs on the slender, square stems. Small, slender, pointed leaves in whorls of 6. Tiny, white, four-petalled flowers in terminal clusters of 3-5. Asperula conferta also found locally, very similar. Stems and leaves of A. conferta less hairy and hairs bent (recurved). Both species recorded throughout Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest (A. scoparia more abundant).

Australina pusilla | Shade Nettle

A delicate stingless nettle, typically to 30cm. Stems soft and translucent, often rooting at nodes. Deep green leaves egg-shaped, scalloped margin. Cream-coloured flowers tiny, insignificant. Food plant for the Yellow Admiral butterfly. Locally, largely confined to areas of Damp Forest within gully lines in the Wombat Forest.

Brachyscome debilis | Weak Daisy

A small annual daisy, typically <10cm high. Generally occurs on rocky sites. Confined to the Clunes area within Hepburn Shire.

Brachyscome diversifolia | Tall Daisy

A finely hairy clumping herb with flowering stems to 50cm. Basal leaves long and narrow, deeply toothed. Upper leaves smaller and sometimes without teeth. Flowerheads with white petals (ray-florets) and yellow centre. Often as large as a twenty-cent piece. Most occurrences in Hepburn Shire in Creswick, north of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs. Sparse occurrences in the Wombat Forest.

Brachyscome multifida | Cut-leaf Daisy

Spreading groundcover typically to 20cm high. Dark glossy green leaves heavily dissected, fragrant when crushed. Pale mauve flower-heads approximately 5 or 10cent coin sized. Locally abundant in some parts of the Wombat Forest, where it sometimes carpets the forest floor. Uncommon in other parts of the Hepburn Shire.

Brachyscome paludicola | Basalt Daisy

An open herb, spreading via rhizomes and stolons, with long flowering stems to 60cm. Long, narrow leaves to 8cm. White flower-heads approximately 20 cent piece sized. Rare within the region. Confined to to Clunes within the Hepburn Shire, where it is found on wet soils in grassland and open woodland.

Brunonia australis | Blue Pincushion

A small rosette-forming herb which often occurs in small cluster of individuals. Hairy, dull green leaves are spoon shaped, occurring in basal clusters. Flowering stems to 40cm with button-like clusters of sky-blue flowers. Widespread throughout forested parts of Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest, usually occurring in well-drained positions.

Calandrinia calyptrata | Pink Purslane

A small, annual, succulent. Fleshy leaves cylindrical then tapering to a point. Flowers pale pink. Occurs on drier sites around Hepburn Springs, Creswick and Clunes. Absent in the Wombat Forest.

Calocephalus citreus | Lemon Beauty-heads

A spreading groundcover to 40cm most common in grasslands and open woodlands. Grey foliage and stems. Leaves linear, a couple of millimetres wide, up to 10 millimetres long. Yellow, egg-shaped flowerheads containing up to several hundred tiny, individual flowers. Within Hepburn Shire this species is restricted to open woodland / grassland areas in Creswick, Clunes and surrounds. Absent within the Wombat Forest.

Chrysocephalum apiculatum | Common Everlasting

A spreading herb to 40cm with grey, densely hairy stems and foliage. Soft, oval to spoon-shaped leaves covered in cottony hairs. Yellow flowerheads often in clusters of several heads. Button-shaped, deep yellow centre, outer bracts papery and less intensely coloured. A variable species, 9 subspecies within Victoria. Most occurrences within Hepburn Shire are in open woodland and grassland around Creswick and Clunes. Occurs on the summit of Blue Mount, absent elsewhere within the Wombat Forest.

Chrysocephalum semipapposum | Clustered Everlasting

An upright herb to 60cm. Grey to grey-green leaves, linear, covered in tiny hairs. Golden flowerheads held in terminal clusters. A variable species including several subspecies and forms. Occurs in forested areas around Creswick, Daylesford, Hepburn and Glenlyon. Absent or almost so within the Wombat Forest.

Comesperma polygaloides | Small Milkwort

An erect herb to 30cm with slender stems. Blue-green stems and foliage. Leaves narrow, oblong to 20mm, slightly fleshy. Flowers lilac-coloured, similar to a pea-flower in structure, arranged in terminal clusters. Considered vulnerable at the state level. Confined to grasslands in the Clunes area within the Hepburn Shire. Absent in the Wombat Forest.

Coronidium gunnianum | Pale Swamp Everlasting

An erect herb to 40cm, spreading via rhizomes to form large patches. Grey-green stalkless, slender, linear leaves. Yellow button flowerheads. Narrow leaves and upright habit distinguish from C. scorpioides. Occurs in Clunes and Creswick within Hepburn Shire and in swamps within the Wombat Forest.

Coronidium scorpioides | Button Everlasting

A clumping herb typically to 30cm, spreading via rhizomes to form small patches. Basal leaves large, hairy, often around 6cm x 1cm, narrowing towards base of leaf. Flowering stems cottony with smaller leaves. Button flowerheads up to 3cm across, deep yellow with straw-coloured outer bracts. Plants can die back after flowering, however some basal leaves usually persist. The most widespread "everlasting" within Hepburn Shire, occurring within many dry and moist forested areas and throughout the Wombat Forest.

Cullen microcephalum | Dusky Scurf-pea

A clumping or trailing herb to 30cm. Deep green trifoliate leaves with leaflets to 9cm long. Small purple pea-flowers arranged in spike-like clusters in summer. A sparse distribution on moist sites in the Wombat Forest. Absent in other parts of Hepburn Shire.

Cymbonotus preissianus | Austral Bears-ears

A flat rosette forming herb. Leaves wide and deeply toothed, upper surface green and hairy, lower surface pale and wooly. Single, yellow daisy flowerheads to 2cm across held on short stems. Scattered throughout the Hepburn Shire. Sparse occurrences within the Wombat Forest. Potential for confusion with some weed species, including Capeweed Arctotheca calendula which has more deeply lobed leaves and a blackish centre to flowers.

Dichondra repens | Kidney Weed

A soft, low growing herb, creeping stems rooting at nodes. Leaves hairy and kidney shaped. Flowers single, tiny and green, 5 petals. A widespread species throughout Hepburn Shire and the Wombat Forest. Similar habit to Viola hederacea which has dark, largely hairless, sub-glossy leaves with a scalloped or broadly-toothed margin.

Dysphania pumilio | Clammy Goosefoot

A trailing annual herb which colonises disturbed landscapes (gardens, gravel roads, agricultural properties etc.). Leaves somewhat fleshy with wavy or slightly lobed margin. Tiny yellow-green flowers. Natural range may not have included Hepburn Shire although it is now prevalent within modified landscapes.

Drosera aberrans | Scented Sundew

A carnivorous herb forming a low rosette. Spoon-shaped leaves often with red pigmentation, sticky hairs that serve to trap invertebrates. Scented flowers around 2cm across with 5 white petals. Occurs on infertile soils in forested areas around Creswick, north of Daylesford, Hepburn Springs, Porcupine Ridge. Absent or almost so in the Wombat Forest.

Drosera glanduligera | Scarlet Sundew

A small rosette forming carnivorous plant. Spoon-shaped leaves with sticky hairs that serve to trap insects. Orange-red flowers with 5 petals. Rare within Hepburn Shire, occurs in moist grasslands and woodlands in west of shire. Absent within the Wombat Forest.

Drosera auriculata | Tall Sundew

A slender upright herb with no basal leaves, typically to 25cm. Small roundish leaves with a concave surface and sticky hairs that serve to trap insects. White to pale pink flowers in small clusters near top of stem, 1cm or so across. Occurs across forested parts of Hepburn Shire and scattered throughout the Wombat Forest.

Drosera pygmaea | Pygmy Sundew

A small rosette forming carnivorous plant. Small red rounded leaves with sticky hairs that serve to trap insects. Tiny white flowers with 4 petals. Rare within Hepburn Shire, noted in swampy areas near Clunes. Absent within the Wombat Forest.