Annual herb to 40 cm tall, hairy to glabrous. Stems erect, branched. Leaves along stems, to 8 cm long, divided with linear segments, rarely entire and linear, sessile. Capitula to 4 cm across, solitary on long stalks; summer to autumn. Ray florets white to violet. Achenes slightly compressed, without wings, faces smooth, usually with 2 longitudinal ridges. Pappus a ring of minute warts.
WA, NT, SA
Widely cultivated as an ornamental.
Other species lacking basal leaves and with divided stem leaves are:
B. ciliaris (Labill.) Less. from all states of Australia, a shrubby perennial herb to 45 cm tall with capitula to 1.5 cm across, solitary on moderately long stalks, and white to mauve ray florets;
B. formosa P.S. Short from N NSW, a small rhizomatous perennial herb to 15 cm tall with capitula to 3.5 cm across, solitary on long stalks, and pink ray florets;
B. rigidula (DC.) G.L.R. Davis from E Australia, an ascending glandular-hairy perennial herb to 35 cm tall with capitula to 3 cm across, solitary on long stalks, and blue ray florets;
B. segmentosa C. Moore & F. Muell. from Lord Howe Island, a low perennial herb to 35 cm tall with capitula to 2 cm across, solitary on long stalks, and white ray florets.
Source: (2002). Asteraceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.