About Leptorhynchos squamatus (Labill.) Less.
Leptorhynchos squamatus (Labill.) Less., commonly known as scaly buttons, is an upright or ascending herb that grows 10–40 cm (4–15.5 in) tall. Its stems are mostly unbranched, ranging from woolly to smooth in texture, and turn reddish brown as they age. The leaves are oblong or narrowly oblong-lance shaped, measuring 1.5–3.5 cm (0.59–1.38 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide. The lower leaf surface is smooth or sparsely covered in moderately long, coarse hairs, while the upper leaf surface is covered with soft, appressed, woolly hairs near the apex. Involucral bracts extend down the stalk of the inflorescence; they are mostly dry and scaly, and can be clear or brownish. Flower heads are borne at the ends of branches on a peduncle 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) long. The flower heads are bell-shaped, 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long, 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) in diameter, and hold yellow florets. Flowering occurs from summer to autumn, and the fruit produced is an oblong to scythe-shaped achene. This species grows in a range of habitats including forest, mallee, and bushland, on both clay and sandy soils. It is distributed in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.
