Montanoa ovalifolia ssp. australis  

Shrubs 1.5-5.0 mm tall. Stems terete, brown, herbaceous parts essentially glabrous to sparsely glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 0.5 mm long. Leaves variable; petioles 2-17 cm long with or without partial wings and auricles, moderately to densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5- 1.0 mm long; blades ovate to triangular or pentagonal (Fig. 45 A-J), 4.5- 23.0 cm long, 2.2- 27.0 cm wide, apex acute to acuminate, margin serrate- dentate, unlobed to shallowly 3-lobed, adaxial surface moderately pubescent, hairs pustular, abaxial surface moderately to densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long. Peduncles 1.0- 3.5 cm long, densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long. Heads erect, 0.9- 1.2 cm diam in flower, ca. 2.0 cm diam in fruit, few to many in open cymose synflorescences in oppositely and alternately branched compound corymbs. Phyllaries 4-9, uni- or biseriate, when biseriate the inner row somewhat shorter, ovate-lanceolate, 4.5-12.0 mm long, 1.0-2.5 mm wide, green, apex acute to acuminate, margin ciliate, entire, abaxial surface densely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long, adaxial surface sometimes pubescent on distal half, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long. Ray florets 8-15; corollas white, ligules ovate- lanceolate, 12-25 mm long, 4-8 mm wide, apex acute to 2-notched, adaxial surface essentially glabrous, abaxial surface sparsely glandular and pubescent especially on veins, hairs less than 0.5 mm long, tube 0.5-1.0 mm long, 0.5-1.0 mm wide, glabrous. Disc florets ( Fig. 45k) 50-135; corollas yellow, tube 0.6-1.0 mm long, 0.5 mm diam, glabrous to moderately glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 0.5 mm long, throat cylindrical, 1-2 mm long, 1.0 mm diam, essentially glabrous to sparsely glandular and pubescent, hairs less than 0.5 mm long, lobes 5 (rarely 4), 0.5-0.75 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, apex acute, sparsely pubescent hairs thick, less than 0.5 mm long; stamens with filaments 1.0-1.5 mm long, 0.25 mm wide, anthers not fully exserted from corolla thecae brown, 1.0-1.25 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, apical appendages yellow, acute, 0.5- 1.0mm long, 0.25-0.5 mm wide, abaxial surface of apical appendage with or without glands; styles U(Fig. 45k) yellow, 3.25-4.0 mm long, enlarged at base, stigmatic surface brown or yellow, 0.75 mm long, apical appendage yellow, short acute, 0.25 mm long, 0.25mm wide. Pales at anthesis obtrullate to obdeltoid (Fig. 45L), 3.5-4.0 mm long, 2.0 mm wide, light yellow with dark bands near midrib and on distal half, apex long-acuminate, yellow, indurate, margin ciliate, glandular, entire, abaxial surface,densely glandular and pubescent near center, hairs 1.0 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous; pales at fruiting (not quiet mature) deciduous, obtrullate (Fig. 45M),ca. 10.0 mm long, 5.0 mm wide, papery with netted venation, stramineous with dark bands near midrib, apex acuminate, apiculate, dark, margin moderately glandular, ciliate on distal half but not apical, abaxial surface sparsely glandular and pubescent, hairs 0.5-1.0 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous. Achenes (not quiet mature) brown-black, 2.5-3.0 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, smooth. Chromosomenumber, n= 19.

All collections of this rare subspecies have been made south of the equator; hence the name australis. This subspecies is in most respects similar to the type subspecies, it has fewer, shorter involucral bracts (4-5, 5-6 mm long), fewer and shorter ray florets (8, 12-15 mm long), and fewer disc florets (50-75).