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Cassinia aculeata subsp. aculeata

Dolly Bush, Common Cassinia, Dogwood at Weetangera, ACT

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Identification history

Cassinia aculeata subsp. aculeata	25 May 2022	Tapirlord
Cassinia aculeata subsp. aculeata	22 May 2022	Tapirlord
Unidentified	21 May 2022	sangio7

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9 comments

sangio7 wrote:

22 May 2022

I think that's a very good suggestion, having looked at other photos online (very close match to https://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/phtml?pc=dig&pn=10171&size=3) and read the plantnet description.
And for what it's worth it has a young Cassinia longifolia (or quinquefaria) on either side of it within 30 cm

sangio7 wrote:

25 May 2022

It seems that in my last comment I got a bit carried away with the prospect of finding, at first glance, a fairly good match.
To confuse things, the photo I referred to in the last comment is of C. arcuata not C. aculeata subsp. aculeata. C. arcuata is in some ways just as good a match and while not listed on CNM does have local sightings in the Atlas of Living Australia.

Neither seem to be a perfect match, but maybe these differences are within the natural variation within species/subspecies (?). Or perhaps it is neither species.

C. arcuata is a better match to leaf size, while C. aculeata subsp. aculeata is a better match for leaf shape and surface appearance, as summarised below.

C. arcuata has a drooping habit which my sighting doesn't exhibit at present.

Perhaps when it flowers it may help distinguish between them, so I'll be back in spring/summer.

Tapirlord wrote:

25 May 2022

Cassinia arcuata is a considered to be a synonym for Cassinia sifton on Canberra nature map. I did consider that when I made my inital ID, but I feel as thought that is unlikely (based on form and leaf shape).

I am pretty confident that this is a young Cassinia aculeata, its very common at lower elevation in Namadgi (though rarer in Canberra). See this Cassinia aculeata subsp. aculeata (Dolly Bush, Common Cassinia, Dogwood)

For Cassinias in Canberra you tend to see C.longifolia and C.quinquefaria are the common species, while C.sifton and C.aculeata are more uncommon. C.aculeata is the dominant species in namadgi.

Having had another look I'm pretty confident in my ID. :)

sangio7 wrote:

25 May 2022

Fair enough.
A second part of my last comment refused to load earlier (CNM server is pretty slow today).
I'll try again to add it, but it just summarises the aspects of the leaves that differ.
I've put this location on my "check back" list for flowering time.

Mike wrote:

25 May 2022

I think there was confusion between Cassinia arcuata and C. aculeata at some stage on CNM, possibly in conjunction with C. sifton. This could have been due to name changes. There might be some remnants of this in the sightings.

sangio7 wrote:

25 May 2022

I actually used the descriptions for each species on VicFlora (https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/a6465585-5699-4b95-bab7-d8ead66a05d0) to compile a table of leaf characteristics (length, width, shape, structure (e.g. "sessile"), upper surface, lower surface, margins and tips) for each of C. aculeata subsp. aculeata and C. arcuata and compared them with my sighting. But for some reason I just cannot get that (plain text) table to send as a comment.

sangio7 wrote:

25 May 2022

leaves : My Sighting : aculeata subsp. aculeata : arcuata
length : less than 5 mm : 10–50 mm : (2.5–)5–10(–12) mm
width : less than 1mm : 1–2.5 mm : 0.7 mm
shape : linear : linear : linear
structure : sessile : sessile : sessile
upper surface : scabrous : scabrous : glabrous
under surface : ? : cottony, glandular : cottony
margins : flat to recurved : revolute : revolute
tips : acuminate : acute : rounded

sangio7 wrote:

25 May 2022

It rejects less than symbols :-(

sangio7 wrote:

25 May 2022

It rejects less than symbols :-(

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