SPECIES: Calotis glandulosa — Mauve Burr-daisy
CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable
What exactly is a Burr-daisy. This quaint native daisy is found in just a few spots in the Australian Alps. It grows as a low sprawling shrub, with solitary flower heads - of mauve petals and a yellow centre. The outer petals can also vary in colour of white, pink and even blue. The more concerning threats include the degradation and loss of habitat due to land clearing and agriculture, as well as invasive weeds and grazing by stock animals. And to answer the original question? The flowers of the Mauve Burr-daisy are followed by a head of sticky, brown burrs that (hopefully) stick to the fur of an animal or even the clothing of a person walking past, which the plant relies upon to enable its spread to new sites. There you have it: the Mauve Burr-daisy.
Photo: Murray Fagg, Australian National Botanic Gardens