Aciphylla leighii

Features

Distinctive stocky herb, close-set rosettes up to 70 mm in diameter forming a cushion-like plant up to 1 m across, taproot stout, deeply descending. Leaves approximately 5 cm long, spreading, 3-foliolate (including the diverging stipules); sheaths approximately 35 mm long, white with hyaline margins, thickening above and curving outwards, striate, narrowing upwards to 6 mm from base 10 mm wide, milky juice copious. Lamina about 16 mm x 4 mm, linear-oblong, dark green, shallowly canaliculate; margins cartilaginous, apex blunt to retuse (but with short mucro). Male plants with striate flowering stems up to about 5 cm long, surrounded by paniculately arranged compound umbels forming an inflorescence approximately 40-60 mm diameter. Primary rays 3-4, rather stout, unequal, up to approximately 40 mm long, invested by general involucre of leaf-like bracts about 20 mm long. Secondary umbels up to 20-25 mm diameter, with narrow-linear acicular bracteoles approximately 10 mm long (occasionally with trifoliolate lamina); rays 7-10, up to approximately 6 mm long. Tertiary umbels crowded, 5-6 mm long; bracteoles filiform. Sepals greenish, incurved, linear, acute, enlarging after petal-fall to 2 mm long, with short claw. Stamens exserted at anthesis; petals minute, white. Female plants not described in detail.