Family: Asteraceae (daisies)

Status:

Description:
An erect annual herb, to 1m high but usually less, branched from the base. The whole plant is finely hairy and sticky, and smells very strongly of camphor. Leaves are narrow and greyish green. Flowers are small and yellow with tiny petals. Seeds are in typical spherical fluffy daisy seed heads.

Preferred habitat and impacts:
Springs up after disturbance particularly along track edges but seldom spreads far into undisturbed vegetation. However, it is invasive in pasture where it can become dominant because stock refuse to eat it.

Dispersal:
Seeds have the typical daisy parachute of fine hairs to assist wind dispersal. They also stick to clothing, wool and machinery and are spread in contaminated soil.

Look-alikes
Broadly similar to a few other weeds in the daisy family, such as the narrow-leaved fleabane (Conyza bonariensis), but the yellow flowers, stickiness and strong camphor smell are unmistakable. One native plant, "Indian weed" (Sigesbeckia orientalis) has yellow flowers and is sticky around the flowering parts, but it has broad arrowhead-shaped leaves and no camphor smell.

Control
Small infestations can be chipped out prior to seeding or spot sprayed. In many cases the infestation will run its course after a few years, unless there is further disturbance such as road grading.