Gnephosis macrocephala
species of plant
Gnephosis macrocephala is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect annual herb with linear or lance-shaped leaves, compound heads of yellow flowers, and cone-shaped cypselas.
Description
Gnephosis macrocephala is an annual herb with main branches 4–38 cm (1.6–15.0 in) long with a few hairs. Its leaves are linear or lance-shaped, 5–38 mm (0.20–1.50 in) long and 0.5–0.8 mm (0.020–0.031 in) wide. The pseudanthia are arranged in very broadly oval or oblong compound heads of about 20 to 200, 5.5–20 mm (0.22–0.79 in) long and 5.5–14 mm (0.22–0.55 in) wide with four bracts in two rows, the outer bracts 2.3–3.5 mm (0.091–0.138 in) long, the inner bracts up to 3–4.3 mm (0.12–0.17 in) long. The petals are dark yellow or yellow-orange, and form a tube 1.6–2.8 mm (0.063–0.110 in) long and there are five stamens. Flowering has mostly been observed in October and November and the cypselas are conical, 1.0–1.3 mm (0.039–0.051 in) long with soft hairs, the pappus a small cup about 0.26–0.6 mm (0.010–0.024 in) long.
Taxonomy and naming
Gnephosis macrocephala was first formally described in 1851 by Nikolai Turczaninow in the Bulletin de la Société impériale des naturalistes de Moscou from specimens collected by James Drummond in the Swan River Colony. The specific epithet (macrocephala) means 'large headed'.
Distribution and habitat
Gnephosis macrocephala grows in saline soil near salt lakes in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains, Murchison and Yalgoo bioregions of south-western Western Australia.
The public source identifies “Gnephosis macrocephala” as species of plant. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Gnephosis, macrocephala and species.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Gnephosis macrocephala”, the useful work is to connect “species of plant” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q15549896. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1851.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Gnephosis macrocephala”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Gnephosis macrocephala primary sources, Gnephosis macrocephala archive and Gnephosis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Gnephosis macrocephala”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Gnephosis macrocephala” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.