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Olearia argophylla (Labill.) Benth.

Muskwood

Modern name

Olearia argophylla (Labill.) F.Muell. ex Benth.

Synonyms

Aster argophyllus Labill.

An evergreen shrub or small tree up to 45 ft high in the wild; young shoots slightly ribbed and clothed with a closely appressed silvery down. Leaves alternate, leathery, oblanceolate or oval, tapered about equally towards both ends, pointed, toothed unevenly, 2 to 6 in. long, 1 to 212 in. wide; grey green and slightly downy above when young, especially on the midrib, clothed permanently beneath with a close, fine, silvery, glistening felt; stalk grooved, 14 to 1 in. long. Flower-heads produced very numerously in June in corymbs 3 or 4 in. wide at the end of the shoots of the previous year’s growth, the whole forming a hanging cluster 8 in. or more wide. Ray-florets three to five, narrow, scarcely 14 in. long, creamy white; disk-florets six to eight, yellow. Bot. Mag., t. 1563, as Aster argophyllus.

Native of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania; introduced in 1804. Although not particularly attractive in its flowers, this is a handsome foliage plant on account of its silvery appearance. It has also a very pleasant musky scent which may be detected by rubbing the leaves, and which is also perceptible in the atmosphere near a bush after a shower. It has been grown against a wall at Kew, but that amount of protection is insufficient to keep it alive permanently. At Rossdohan, Co. Kerry, Eire, there are two large plants which seed themselves widely; the larger is almost 40 ft in height and the largest of its stems is 414 ft in girth (1966).

cv. ‘Variegata’. – Leaves margined with yellow.

O. viscosa (Labill.) Benth. Aster viscosus Labill. – A shrub 3 to 6 ft high, distinguished by its thin, lanceolate, opposite leaves, silvery white beneath; young shoots and involucral bracts viscid. Ray-florets one or two, creamy white. Disk-florets three to five. Native of Victoria and Tasmania.


Genus

Olearia

Other species in the genus