Xanthosia rotundifolia

Xanthosia rotundifolia, commonly known as southern cross, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, perennial herb with serrated or toothed leaves and white to creamy-yellow flowers.

Description

Xanthosia rotundifolia is an erect perennial herb that typically grows to a height of up to. Its leaves are round to egg-shaped or wedge-shaped, and leathery with serrated or toothed edges. The flowers are arranged in a compound umbel usually with four branches in the form of a cross, each branch wide with a petal-like bract long at the base. Flowering occurs over a long period with a peak in spring.

Taxonomy

Xanthosia rotundifolia was first formally described in 1829 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in Collection de Mémoires pour Servir a l'Histoire de Regne Vegetal. The specific epithet means "round-leaved".

Distribution and habitat

Southern cross grows in gravelly, lateritic soils in rocky places, swamps and open woodland in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Warren bioregions of the south-west of Western Australia.