Senecio helichrysoides F.Muell. (1855:39)

Woolly fireweed

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

"differing from other taxa in extreme woolliness on all parts and long calycular bracteoles"

(Silcock et al., 2019:SM:4)

Conservation Status

Missing (Silcock et al., 2019:SM:4 [as Possibly extinct]) or Extinct (DEPI, 2014; Albani Rocchetti et al., 2022; POWO, 2024; Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2025; DEECA, 2025 [Victoria only]; VicFlora, 2025 [Victoria only])

Last record: 1851 (Silcock et al., 2019:SM:4; Christenhusz & Govaerts, 2025); pre-1900 (Victoria) (VicFlora, 2025)

"Bob Bates [h]as spent lots of time looking in SA, and has found things that key to it but Adelaide Herbarium disagree"

(Silcock et al., 2019:SM:4)

Distribution & Habitat

South Australia & Victoria, Australia

Biology & Ecology

Hypodigm

Media

References

Albani Rocchetti, Giulia, Carta, Angelino, Mondoni, Andrea, Godefroid, Sandrine, Davis, Charles C., Caneva, Giulia, Albrecht, Matthew A., Alvarado, Karla, Bijmoer, Roxali, Borosova, Renata, Bräuchler, Christian, Breman, Elinor, Briggs, Marie, Buord, Stephane, Cave, Lynette H., Da Silva, Nílber Gonçalves, Davey, Alexandra H., Davies, Rachael M., Dickie, John B., Fabillo, Melodina, Fleischmann, Andreas, Franks, Andrew, Hall, Geoffrey, Kantvilas, Gintaras, Klak, Cornelia, Liu, Udayangani, Medina, Leopoldo, Reinhammar, Lars Gunnar, Sebola, Ramagwai J., Schönberger, Ines, Sweeney, Patrick, Voglmayr, Hermann, White, Adam, Wieringa, Jan J., Zippel, Elke Zippel and Abeli, Thomas. (2022). Selecting the best candidates for resurrecting extinct-in-the-wild plants from herbaria. Nature Plants 8: 1385-1393. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-022-01296-7 [Supplementary Tables S1-S6]

Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2023). Uitgestorven. Op plantenjacht rond de wereld: 1-511. Sterck & De Vreese.

Christenhusz, Maarten J. M. and Govaerts, Rafaël. (2025). Plant extinction in the Anthropocene. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 207(3): 183-196. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae045 [Appendix S1]

DEECA [Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action]. (2023). Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened List: June 2023. Published report by The State of Victoria Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Melbourne, Victoria.

DEECA [Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action]. (2025). Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 Threatened List: March 2025. Published report by The State of Victoria Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Melbourne, Victoria.

DEPI (Department of Environment and Primary Industries). (2014). Advisory list of rare of threatened plants in Victoria - 2014. Melbourne, VIC: Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

POWO. (2024). Plants of the World Online (online resource). Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom. Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org/ [Accessed 13 November 2024]

Roskov Y. et al. (eds.). (2018). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life Naturalis, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Silcock, Jen L., Field, Ashley R., Walsh, Neville G. and Fensham, Roderick J. (2019). To name those lost: assessing extinction likelihood in the Australian vascular flora. Oryx 54(2): 167-177. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605318001357 [Supplementary Material]

Thompson, I. R. (2004). Taxonomic studies of Australian Senecio (Asteraceae): 1. The disciform species. Muelleria 19: 101-214.

Thompson, I. R. (2015). 9. Senecio, pp. 209-307 [245]. In: Wilson, Annette (ed.). Flora of Australia Volume 37, Asteraceae 1. Melbourne: ABRS/CSIRO Australia. xxii + 638 pp.

VicFlora. (2025). Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Available online: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au [accessed on 2 August 2025]

Woinarski, John C. Z., Braby, M. F., Burbidge, A. A., Coates, D., Garnett, S. T., Fensham, R. J., Legge, S. M., McKenzie, N. L., Silcock, J L. and Murphy, B. P. (2019). Reading the black book: The number, timing, distribution and causes of listed extinctions in Australia. Biological Conservation 239: 108261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108261

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