The plant is found in southern parts of Australia, including Victoria, NSW and ACT.[3] In Victoria, the plant is confined to alpine and subalpine herbfields of the eastern ranges, and often locally plentiful. Microseris walteri and Microseris scapigera are found in lower altitude areas. [4]
Commercial plant nurseries will often mislabel a Microseris scapigera plant with the name of Microseris lanceolata, because the binomial name was only clarified in recent years. Literature about Murnong often misidentifies Microseris lanceolata as having a sweet-tasting tuber, but this refers to the Microseris walteri plant.
For more than 30 years murnong was named as Microseris sp. or Microseris lanceolata or Microseris scapigera. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria botanist Neville Walsh clarified the botanical name of Microseris walteri in 2016 and defined the differences in the three species in the table below.[4]
single fleshy root expanding to a solitary, napiform to narrow-ellipsoid or narrow-ovoid, annually replaced tuber
several fleshy roots, cylindrical to long-tapered, branching just below ground-level
several cylindrical or long-tapered, usually branched shortly below leaves
Fruit (capsela)
usually less than 7mm long
usually less than 7mm long
mostly 7–10 mm long
Pappus bristles
c. 10 mm long, 0.5–1.3mm wide at base
10–20 mm long, c. 0.3–0.5 mm wide at base
30–66 mm long
Joined petals (ligule)
usually more than 15mm long
usually more than 15mm long
up to 12mm long
Origin
lowlands of temperate southern WA, SA, NSW, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania
rarely on basalt soils; alpine and subalpine NSW, ACT and Victoria
mostly from basalt plains of western Victoria and elevated sites in Tasmania
Taste of roots
sweet-tasting, both raw and cooked
bitter, slightly fibrous and not particularly palatable
slightly fibrous, and slightly, but tolerably bitter
Biological descriptionsedit
Microseris lanceolata has the form of a tufted rosette of toothed lanceolate leaves. [5]
The flower is a yellow head of florets, similar to flatweed (Hypochaeris radicata) or dandelion (Taraxacum). In its natural alpine and subalpine environment, the flower begins to blossom in December when the temperature reaches about 20C. The flower stalk is pendulous before flowering, becoming erect for flowering to attract pollinators and again with the ripening of the seed head. The seed heads ripen to a cluster of fluffy, tan achenes, each having a crown of fine extensions called a pappus. The seeds are dispersed by wind. [6]
The plant has several fleshy roots branching just below ground level, rather than a tuber like Microseris walteri. [4]
Cultivation and usesedit
The edible tuberous roots of murnong plants were an important source of food for some Aboriginal Australian peoples. However, the descriptions of murnong are more closely aligned with Microseris walteri. To add to the confusion, commercial nurseries will commonly mislabel a Microseris scapigera plant as Microseris lanceolata.
Galleryedit
Microseris lanceolata flower, approximately 5cm wide
Microseris lanceolata roots, branching just below ground-level
Murnong seed clock
Seed comparison, from left to right: Microseris scapigera, Microseris walteri and Microseris lanceolata
Referencesedit
^The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 1 July 2016
^Gott, Beth (1993). "Use of Victorian plants by Koories". In Foreman, Don B.; Walsh, Neville G. (eds.). Flora of Victoria. Vol. 1. Melbourne: Inkata Press. pp. 195–211. ISBN978-0-909605-76-6.
^ "Microseris lanceolata (Walp.) Sch.Bip". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 4 Mar 2013.
^ abcWalsh, Neville (2016). "A name for Murnong (Microseris: Asteraceae: Cichorioideae)" (PDF). Muelleria. 34.
^Cribb, A.B.; Cribb, J.W. (1974). Wild Food in Australia. Sydney: William Collins. pp. 150–151. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
^Gott, Beth (1983). "Murnong - Microseris scapigera: A study of a staple food of Victorian Aborigines". Australian Aboriginal Studies. 2: 2–17.
December 15, 2023
microseris, lanceolata, australian, alpine, herb, with, yellow, flowers, three, plants, known, murnong, daisy, along, with, microseris, scapigera, microseris, walteri, scientific, classificationkingdom, plantaeclade, tracheophytesclade, angiospermsclade, eudic. Microseris lanceolata is an Australian alpine herb with yellow flowers and one of three plants known as murnong or yam daisy along with Microseris scapigera and Microseris walteri 2 Microseris lanceolataScientific classificationKingdom PlantaeClade TracheophytesClade AngiospermsClade EudicotsClade AsteridsOrder AsteralesFamily AsteraceaeGenus MicroserisSpecies M lanceolataBinomial nameMicroseris lanceolata Walp Sch Bip Synonyms 1 Galasia lanoeolata Sch Bip Galasia scapigera Sch Bip Krigia chilensis Nees Krigia pinnatifida Bertero ex DC Krigia pusilla DC Microseris pygmaea Raoul nom illeg Phyllopappus lanceolatus Walp The plant is found in southern parts of Australia including Victoria NSW and ACT 3 In Victoria the plant is confined to alpine and subalpine herbfields of the eastern ranges and often locally plentiful Microseris walteri and Microseris scapigera are found in lower altitude areas 4 Commercial plant nurseries will often mislabel a Microseris scapigera plant with the name of Microseris lanceolata because the binomial name was only clarified in recent years Literature about Murnong often misidentifies Microseris lanceolata as having a sweet tasting tuber but this refers to the Microseris walteri plant Contents 1 Botanical naming 2 Biological descriptions 3 Cultivation and uses 4 Gallery 5 ReferencesBotanical naming editFurther information Murnong For more than 30 years murnong was named as Microseris sp or Microseris lanceolata or Microseris scapigera Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria botanist Neville Walsh clarified the botanical name of Microseris walteri in 2016 and defined the differences in the three species in the table below 4 Feature M walteri M lanceolata M scapigeraRoots single fleshy root expanding to a solitary napiform to narrow ellipsoid or narrow ovoid annually replaced tuber several fleshy roots cylindrical to long tapered branching just below ground level several cylindrical or long tapered usually branched shortly below leavesFruit capsela usually less than 7mm long usually less than 7mm long mostly 7 10 mm longPappus bristles c 10 mm long 0 5 1 3mm wide at base 10 20 mm long c 0 3 0 5 mm wide at base 30 66 mm longJoined petals ligule usually more than 15mm long usually more than 15mm long up to 12mm longOrigin lowlands of temperate southern WA SA NSW ACT Victoria and Tasmania rarely on basalt soils alpine and subalpine NSW ACT and Victoria mostly from basalt plains of western Victoria and elevated sites in TasmaniaTaste of roots sweet tasting both raw and cooked bitter slightly fibrous and not particularly palatable slightly fibrous and slightly but tolerably bitterBiological descriptions editMicroseris lanceolata has the form of a tufted rosette of toothed lanceolate leaves 5 The flower is a yellow head of florets similar to flatweed Hypochaeris radicata or dandelion Taraxacum In its natural alpine and subalpine environment the flower begins to blossom in December when the temperature reaches about 20C The flower stalk is pendulous before flowering becoming erect for flowering to attract pollinators and again with the ripening of the seed head The seed heads ripen to a cluster of fluffy tan achenes each having a crown of fine extensions called a pappus The seeds are dispersed by wind 6 The plant has several fleshy roots branching just below ground level rather than a tuber like Microseris walteri 4 Cultivation and uses editThe edible tuberous roots of murnong plants were an important source of food for some Aboriginal Australian peoples However the descriptions of murnong are more closely aligned with Microseris walteri To add to the confusion commercial nurseries will commonly mislabel a Microseris scapigera plant as Microseris lanceolata Gallery edit nbsp Microseris lanceolata flower approximately 5cm wide nbsp Microseris lanceolata roots branching just below ground level nbsp Murnong seed clock nbsp Seed comparison from left to right Microseris scapigera Microseris walteri and Microseris lanceolataReferences edit The Plant List A Working List of All Plant Species retrieved 1 July 2016 Gott Beth 1993 Use of Victorian plants by Koories In Foreman Don B Walsh Neville G eds Flora of Victoria Vol 1 Melbourne Inkata Press pp 195 211 ISBN 978 0 909605 76 6 Microseris lanceolata Walp Sch Bip Australian Plant Name Index APNI IBIS database Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research Australian Government Retrieved 4 Mar 2013 a b c Walsh Neville 2016 A name for Murnong Microseris Asteraceae Cichorioideae PDF Muelleria 34 Cribb A B Cribb J W 1974 Wild Food in Australia Sydney William Collins pp 150 151 Retrieved 14 August 2019 Gott Beth 1983 Murnong Microseris scapigera A study of a staple food of Victorian Aborigines Australian Aboriginal Studies 2 2 17 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Microseris lanceolata amp oldid 1167536173, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
