Leucochrysum albicans

Leucochrysum albicans is an upright, tufted perennial to {{cvt|45|cm}} high. The leaves are linear to oblong or broadly egg-shaped, woolly, {{cvt|2-10|cm}} long, {{cvt|1-9|mm}} wide, light grey and crowded near the base of the stems. The flower heads {{cvt|2-4|cm}} in diameter, borne singly on a slim peduncle {{cvt|7-15|cm}} long. The outer bracts brown, inner bracts white or yellow in rows, triangular to narrow-elliptic shaped with a woolly lamina at the base. Flowering occurs in spring and summer and the fruit is an achene {{cvt|3|mm}} long and covered with feathery-like white bristles.{{cite web |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Leucochrysum~albicans|title=Leucochrysum albicans (A.Cunn.) Paul G.Wilson |accessdate=21 November 2011 |author=|work= PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia}}{{cite book |last1=Schaumann |first1=M. |last2=Barker |first2=J. |last3=Grieg |first3=J. |title=Australian Daisies |date=1987 |publisher=Lothian Publishing |location=Sydney |isbn=0850912911 |page=156}}{{cite book |last1=Sharp |first1=Sarah |last2=Rehwinkel |first2=Rainer |last3=Mallinson |first3=Dave |last4=Eddy |first4=David |title=Woodland Flora a Field Guide for the Southern Tableland (NSW & ACT) |date=2015 |publisher=Horizons Print Management |location=Canberra |isbn=9780994495808}}{{cite web |last1=Short |first1=Philip S. |last2=Walsh |first2=Neville G. |title=Leucochrysum albicans |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/6266386a-7015-4ac6-9d90-8022c11f9de0 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |access-date=18 June 2023}}

The species was first formally described by botanist Allan Cunningham in 1825 in Geographical Memoirs on New South Wales and gave it the name Helichrysum albicans.{{cite web |title=Helichrysum albicans |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/instance/apni/492921 |publisher=Australian Plant Name Index |access-date=14 June 2023}} In 1992 Paul Graham Wilson changed the name to Leucochrysum albicans in the journal Nuytsia.{{cite web |title=Leucochrysum albicans |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/instance/apni/492921 |publisher=Australian Plant Name Index |access-date=14 June 2023}}{{cite journal |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul |title=Leucochrysum albicans |journal=Nuytsia |date=1992 |volume=8 |issue=3 |page=442 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53279398#page/138/mode/1up |access-date=14 June 2023}} The specific epithet (albicans) means "whitish".{{cite book |last1=George |first1=A.S |last2=Sharr |first2=F.A |title=Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings |date=2021 |publisher=Four Gables |location=Kardinya |isbn=9780958034197 |page=131|edition=4th}}

In the same edition of the journal Nuytsia, Wilson described three varieties and two subspecies, albicans and alpinum of L. albicans. In 2010 Neville Grant Walsh transferred von Mueller's Helipterum incanum var. alpinum to Leucochrysum as L. alpinum in the journal Muelleria, including L. leucochrysum subsp. alpinum as a synonym.{{cite journal |last1=Dennis |first1=R.J. |last2=Walsh |first2=Neville G. |title=A revision of the Leucochrysum albicans (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) complex. |journal=Muelleria |date=2010 |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=133–134 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59649266#page/51/mode/1up |access-date=17 June 2023}} In a 2015 edition of Muelleria, Walsh raised the rank of de Candolle's Helipterum incanum var. tricolor to subspecies as L. albicans subsp. tricolor.{{cite journal |last1=Walsh |first1=Neville G. |title=Elevation of rank for Leucochrysum albicans var. tricolor (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae). |journal=Muelleria |date=2015 |volume=34 |page=13 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59597077#page/15/mode/1up |access-date=17 June 2023}}

The names of the two subspecies have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Leucochrysum albicans (A.Cunn.) Paul G.Wilson subsp. albicans{{cite web |title=Leucochrysum albicans subsp. albicans |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/118690 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=13 June 2023}} has yellow inner involucral bracts.{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |title=Leucochrysum albicans var. albicans |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Leucochrysum~albicans~var.+albicans |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |access-date=17 June 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Short |first1=Philip S. |title=Leucochrysum albicans subsp. albicans |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/0ea7d037-3a1a-4736-bcd3-49c30ad13139 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |access-date=18 June 2023}}
• Leucochrysum albicans (DC.) N.G.Walsh subsp. tricolor{{cite web |title=Leucochrysum albicans subsp. tricolor |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/4432940 |publisher=Australian Plant Census |access-date=13 June 2023}} has white inner involucral bracts.{{cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Paul G. |title=Leucochrysum albicans var. tricolor |url=https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Leucochrysum~albicans~var.+tricolor |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |access-date=17 June 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Short |first1=Philip S. |last2=Walsh |first2=Neville G. |title=Leucochrysum albicans subsp. tricolor |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/b73e6f54-8032-4d29-8056-0089499d94c9 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |access-date=18 June 2023}}

Hoary sunray is a widespread species found growing in moist, rocky alpine locations in woodlands and grasslands on nutrient poor soils in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania. Subspecies tricolor mainly grows in grassland or grassy woodland at altitudes between about {{cvt|100 and 900|m}} in disjunct populations in Tasmania, Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales, although it has not been recorded this century in Victoria.{{cite web |title=Hoary Sunray - profile |url=https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=20258 |publisher=New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage |access-date=17 June 2023}}{{cite web |title=SPRAT Profile Leucochrysum albicans subsp. tricolor |url=https://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=56204 |publisher=Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |access-date=17 June 2023}}

Subspecies tricolor is listed as "endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Victorian Government Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. A National Recovery Plan has been prepared.{{cite web |last1=Sinclair |first1=Steve J. |title=National Recovery Plan for the Hoary Sunray Leucochrysum albicans var. tricolor |url=https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/leucochrysum-albicans.pdf |publisher=Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water |access-date=18 June 2023}}

{{Gallery

|align=center

|Image:Leucochrysum albicans white form.jpg|White form

|Image:Leucochrysum albicans bracts 01.jpg|Bracts

|Image:Leucochrysum albicans bracts & bud.jpg|Bud

}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q6534103}}

Category:Gnaphalieae

Category:Flora of New South Wales

Category:Flora of Queensland

Category:Flora of Tasmania

Category:Flora of Victoria (state)

Category:Taxa named by Allan Cunningham (botanist)