Leiocarpa brevicompta – Plains Plover Daisy

Author: Jan Sked

Published: Journal September 2021

Leiocarpa brevicompta – Plains Plover Daisy or Flat Billy Buttons

Pronounced: lee-o-CARP-a brev-ee-COMP-ta
Family: Asteraceae
Synonym: Ixiolaena brevicompta
Derivation: Leiocarpa from Greek leios, smooth, and carpos, fruit; brevicompta, from the Latin brevis, short, and comptus, elegant, being an attractive small plant.

A small, bushy, aromatic herb, 30-60cm high, with branching, hairy stems and unique woolly blue-green leaves up to 5cm long.

Bright golden-yellow cushion-like flowerheads, to 2cm across, on long slender stalks, can be found most of the year, but most prolifically in spring.

It grows in open forest country and is extensive on heavy clay soils of river flood plains in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.

This is an attractive flowering plant, perfect for home garden displays. It will grow in most soils in full sun or dappled shade. Good for a rockery and particularly good as a container plant. Not very long lived, and should be replaced after a couple of years.

Propagate from seed or cuttings.