Cassinia 

Location & distribution maps

Common name:         Shiny Cassinia

Conservation status: . . .

Etymology:   

• The genus was named for French botanist Alexandre de Cassini

Flowers

• The flowers white to cream-coloured, yellow or pinkish, arranged in heads, the heads in cylindrical, top-shaped or bell-shaped corymbs

• The heads are surrounded by several rows of usually erect, boat-shaped bracts

• The florets are bisexual and cylindrical with five lobes 

Fruit:                            

• The cypselas are small and usually have a pappus of bristles

Leaves:         

• Thet sometimes have sticky foliage

• The leaves are arranged alternately, the edges flat to strongly rolled under

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Plants in the genus Cassinia are shrubs or small trees

Habitat:   

Distribution:                  

• They are native to Australia and New Zealand

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy

  • The genus Cassinia was first formally described in 1817 by Robert Brown in his book Observations on the Natural Family of Plants called Compositae.

  •  Brown had previously used the name Cassinia in the second edition of the Hortus Kewensis but the name was not validly published because no species was described

• Species list

  • The following is a list of species accepted by Plants of the World Online as of May:

    • Cassinia accipitrum Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia aculeata (Labill.) R.Br. – dogwood, common cassinia, dolly bush (N.S.W., S.A., Tas., Vic.)

    • Cassinia × adunca F.Muell. (S.A.)

    • Cassinia amoena Cheeseman (N.Z.)

    • Cassinia × amoenatorta Carse (N.Z.)

    • Cassinia arcuata R.Br. – Chinese scrub, drooping cassinia, sifton bush (N.S.W., S.A., W.A., Vic.)

    • Cassinia aureonitens N.A.Wakef. – yellow cassinia (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia cinerea Orchard (Qld.)

    • Cassinia collina C.T.White (Qld.)

    • Cassinia compacta F.Muell. (N.S.W., Qld.)

    • Cassinia complanata J.M.Black – smooth cassinia (Vic., S.A.)

    • Cassinia copensis Orchard (N.S.W., Qld.)

    • Cassinia cunninghamii DC. – Cunninghams everlasting (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia decipiens Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia denticulata R.Br. – stiff cassinia (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia diminuta Orchard - dwarf cassinia (Vic.)

    • Cassinia fulvida Hook.f. (N.Z.)

    • Cassinia furtiva Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia heleniae Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia hewsoniae Orchard (N.S.W., A.C.T.)

    • Cassinia laevis R.Br. – cough bush, dead finish (Qld., N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.)

    • Cassinia lepschii Orchard (N.S.W., Qld.)

    • Cassinia leptocephala F.Muell. (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia longifolia R.Br. – shiny cassinia (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.)

    • Cassinia macrocephala Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia maritima Orchard (N.S.W., Vic.)

    • Cassinia monticola Orchard (N.S.W., Vic.)

    • Cassinia nivalis Orchard – ochre cassinia (Vic.)

    • Cassinia ochracea Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia ozothamnoides (F.Muell.) Orchard (Vic.)

    • Cassinia petrapendula (Orchard) Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia quinquefaria R.Br. (N.S.W., Qld., A.C.T.)

    • Cassinia retorta A.Cunn. ex DC. (N.Z.)

    • Cassinia rugata N.G.Walsh (Vic., S.A., Tas.)

    • Cassinia scabrida Orchard – rough cassinia (Vic.)

    • Cassinia sifton Orchard (W.A., S.A., N.S.W., A.C.T. (naturalised), Vic. (uncertain origin)

    • Cassinia storyi (Orchard) Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia straminea (Benth.) Orchard (N.S.W)

    • Cassinia subtropica F.Muell. – bushy rosemary (Qld., N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia tegulata Orchard – Avenue cassinia (S.A.)

    • Cassinia telfordii Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia tenuifolia Benth. – bully bush, killmoke (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia tenuis (Orchard) Orchard (N.S.W)

    • Cassinia theodori F.Muell. (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia theresae Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia thinicola Orchard (N.S.W.)

    • Cassinia trinerva N.A.Wakef. (N.S.W., Qld., Vic., Tas.)

    • Cassinia uncata A.Cunn. – sticky cassinia (N.S.W., S.A.)

    • Cassinia vauvilliersii Hook.f. (N.Z.)

    • Cassinia venusta Orchard (N.S.W., Vic.)

    • Cassinia wilsoniae Orchard (Vic., S.A.)

    • Cassinia wyberbensis Orchard (Qld.)

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassinia_longifolia (2024)