Common Cotula

Common Cotula photos

Family: Daisy (Asteraceae syn. Compoitae)

Scientific Name:

Cotula australis

Status:

Native of Australia and New Zealand.

Common Cotula plants
Photo: A J Brown

Other Common Names:

Australian Water Buttons, Southern Water Buttons, Bachelor's Buttons, Carrot Weed

Plant Description:

Small prostrate to ascending annual plant, to 10 cm high and sometimes rooting at the nodes of its stems. Stems and leaves have scattered long hairs. Leaves are obovate (oval-shaped) to oblanceolate (backward pointing spear-shaped), 1 – 2 cm long, partly stem clasping, and divided into many linear and lobed segments.

The hemispherical flower-heads are pale-yellow to cream, 4-5 mm diameter, on slender stalks, which are longer than the leaves. Fruit (achenes) are 1-1.5 mm long and flattened; the outer with a grandular surface and narrow thickened wings, the inner smooth and wingless. Flowers winter to late spring.

Habitat:

Grows in moist, open grassy situations, roadsides, lawns, wall crevices and grassy forests.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, Gippsland	S0	W1, W2

Comments:

Common Cotula is similar to Water Buttons (Cotula coronopifolia) and Ferny Cotula (Cotula bipinnata) (see Key to Cotulas).

Common Cotula photos

Common Cotula flower-head Photo: A J Brown	Common Cotula leaf Photo: A J Brown

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