SPECIES: Brachyscome muelleri — Corunna Daisy
CLASSIFICATION: Endangered
The Corunna Daisy is a rare Australian native wildflower endemic to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, characterised by its purple-blue ray florets and yellow central disc. This delicate daisy grows exclusively in rocky slopes and clay flats of mallee woodland communities near Iron Knob and Corunna, the latter lending the species its common name.
The Corunna Daisy faces significant challenges including habitat loss from agriculture and mining operations, competition from invasive weeds, and climate change impacts. Conservation efforts focus on population monitoring, habitat protection within reserves, and seed banking to preserve genetic diversity, though its small population size continues to make this beautiful daisy vulnerable to extinction without ongoing protection.
Photo: SA Seed Conservation Centre