About Calotis hispidula (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
Calotis hispidula is an annual ascending herb that reaches a height of 10 to 12 centimetres (3.9 to 4.7 inches), and is covered in rough, hirsute hairs. It does not produce basal leaves; its aerial leaves are somewhat wedge-shaped, measuring 0.5 to 2 centimetres (0.20 to 0.79 inches) long and 1 to 7 millimetres (0.039 to 0.276 inches) wide. Its barbed flower heads are 4 to 10 millimetres (0.16 to 0.39 inches) in diameter, supported by bracts that surround a conical, scaled receptacle. The florets are yellow and grow to 1 millimetre in length. Calotis hispidula grows in soils ranging from heavy clays to shallow stony soils across a wide variety of plant communities. It is a widespread species, particularly common in inland districts. Confirmed current populations occur in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, and it is abundant in Central Australia. In its ecology, this species grows in sandy soil on flats, low dunes and small hills, and appears to be associated with Acacia woodlands and chenopod-dominated shrublands. It is reportedly a perennial that flowers in its first year of growth; no observed individuals of this species have survived for more than two years. Flowering has been recorded in September, with fruit collected in October, though flowering can occur as early as August.
