Hydrocotyle laxiflora
| Stinking pennywort | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Apiales |
| Family: | Araliaceae |
| Genus: | Hydrocotyle |
| Species: | H. laxiflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Hydrocotyle laxiflora | |
Hydrocotyle laxiflora commonly known as stinking pennywort,[2] is a species of plant in the family Araliaceae. It has hairy, lobed leaves and cream coloured flowers and is endemic to Australia.
Description
Hydrocotyle laxiflora is a spreading, perennial herb with white or yellow rhizomes, sometimes up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long, branches densely covered with coarse, rough hairs, branches upright or ascending to about 15 cm (5.9 in) high. Leaves are borne singly along the rhizome, circular, kidney or heart-shaped, slightly lobed, hairy and 10–40 mm (0.39–1.57 in) in diameter on a petiole 1–12 cm (0.39–4.72 in) long. Flowers are in simple umbels, roughly spherical, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) in diameter, mostly 30-50 flowered emitting an offensive odour. Flowering occurs from October to December and the fruit is a ribbed mericarp, 1.5–2 mm (0.059–0.079 in) long and 1.8–2.5 mm (0.071–0.098 in) wide.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy and naming
Hydrocotyle laxiflora was first formally described in 1830 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle and the description was published in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.[5][6]The specific epithet (laxiflora) means loose flower heads.[7]
Distribution and habitat
Stinking pennywort grows in shady, moist, loamy or humus rich soils in South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania.[4]
References
- ↑ "Hydrocotyle laxiflora". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Hydrocotyle laxiflora". VICFLORA-Flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Hydrocotyle laxiflora". Yarra Ranges Plant Page. Victoria Government. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- 1 2 Hastings, S.M.; Wiecek, B.M. "Hydrocotyle laxiflora". PlantNET-New South Wales Flora online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Hydrocotyle laxiflora". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ de Candolle, Augustin (1830). Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis (4 ed.). Paris. p. 69. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Perrin, Don (2018). Dictionary of Botanical Names (2nd ed.). Queensland: J T Press. p. 102. ISBN 9780648358701.