Common cotula

Cotula australis

A low growing annual or perennial herb with much divided (carrot like), hairy leaves and yellow (or white) button like flower heads with no 'petals' on slender stalks from spring to autumn. 

Cotyledons: Two. Oval, 2-3 mm long, round tips. Base tapered. Hairless. No petiole. Short hypocotyl and no epicotyl.

First leaves: Paired, oval to spear shaped, 15-20 mm long, pointed tip, smooth edge without lobes. Merging leaf stalk. Few long thin hairs on both surfaces. Later leaves grow singly.

Leaves: Rosette 100-300 mm wide. Alternate, may appear paired, membranous. As the plant grows the leaves become more lobed.
Stipules - Lobed and stem clasping.
Petiole - Short, on rosette and lower leaves. Base of petiole is stem clasping.
Blade - Once or twice deeply lobed, the segments with 3 or more narrow, acute tipped lobes, 10-20 mm long overall. Few hairs on upper side, long fine hairs on the lower surface. Carrot like. No minute dots or pits on the upper surface.
Stem leaves - Alternate. Up to 30 mm long. Sparse hairs on top with more hairs underneath. Lower leaves stalked, upper leaves clasp stem with lobed papery bases.

Stems: Up to 200 mm long. Round, solid, prostrate, semi erect or with short erect stems. Branched from base and along length. Forms roots near the base. Few fine hairs.
Flower stem - long and slender.

Flower head: At the ends of stems. Yellow to greenish white, single, hemispherical flower head, 3-5 mm wide, on a long, slender, erect, leafless flower stalk extending well above the foliage.