One of the iconic wildflower images in Central Australia is the sight of the Annual Yellowtop (Senecio gregorii) that can carpet the countryside in spring, usually when the region had good autumn or winter rains. These yellow daisy like flowers are an annual, although they may not appear during drought times.

The yellowtop can reach a height of 30 cm with a yellow centre surrounded by 7-8 petals. The flower centre can be up to 1 cm in diameter with petals spaced apart in a star like formation and up to 2 cm in length.

When the flower set seed it changes into a head of densely white silky bristles. The seeds are spread by wind. The plant itself can be transplanted, although whilst they are fragile, they are resilient.

Common name
Fleshy Groundsel, Yellow Tops

The Annual Yellowtop does appear to show some difference to other Annual Yellowtop of the same species S. gregorii. Some appear to have a purplish colour and are more succulent in the appearance of their leaves and stems, such as those at Rainbow Valley. This is a result of different soil profile and nutrient values.1


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Tracheophyta
  • Subphylum: Angiospermae
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • Order: Asterales
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • Subfamily: Asteroideae
  • Tribe: Senecioneae
  • Subtribe: Senecioninae
  • Genus: Senecio
  • Species: Senecio gregorii

Footnote & References

  1. Senecio Gregorii – Many thanks to Karlee Foster for identification and additional information, Australian Indigenous Plant Identification
  2. Annual Yellowtop, Ausemade, https://ausemade.com.au/destinations/northern-territory-nt-australia/wurre-rainbow-valley/wrv-flora/wrv-annual-yellowtop/

FloraFlora in Australia Flora Index Acacia Anigozanthos (Kangaroo Paws) Annual Yellowtop Apium prostratum subsp. prostratum var filiforme Apple Bush (Pterocaulon sphacelatum) Australian Bluebell Australian Gossypium Banksia Batswing Coral Tree Billy Buttons Birdsville Indigo Blue Pincushion Bush Banana Callistemon Callitris drummondii (Drummond’s Cypress Pine) Calothamnus quadrifidus Cape Honeysuckle Cassia fistula (Golden Shower) Cattle Bush Common Heath Crotalaria Darwinia wittwerorum (Wittwer’s Mountain Bell) Daviesia oppositifolia (Rattle-pea) Desert Oaks Drumsticks Eremophila Eucalyptus Ficus Flannel Cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum) Georges Indigo Goatshead Burr (Sclerolaena bicornis) Golden Everlasting Goodenia Gossypium Grass and Grasses Grass Trees Grevillea Grey Germander Hakea Kapok Bush (Aerva javanica) Lambertia sp Leptospermum MacDonnell Ranges Cycad Maireana scleroptera Mexican Poppy Minnie Daisy Mistletoe Family Nardoo Native Apricot Nicotiana megalosiphon subspecies sessilifolia Nuytsia floribunda Orange Spade Flower Orchidaceae Parakeelyas (Calandrinia) Pebble Bush (Stylobasium spathulatum) Perennial Yellow Top Pink Everlasting Pink Rock Wort Poached Egg Daisy Portulaca Proteaceae Ptilotus Quandong Resurrection Fern Rosy Dock Ruby Saltbush Santalum Solanum Spike Centaury Spinifex Storkbill (Erodium cygnorum) Striped Mint Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Sturt’s Desert Rose Tall Saltbush Tangled Leschenaultia Tar Vine Tribulus eichlerianus Upside-down Plant Urodon dasyphylla Variable Daisy Waratah (Telopea) Wertabona Daisy White Cedar (Melia azedarach) White Indigo White Paper Daisy Wild Passionfruit Wild Stock Woolly-Headed Burr Daisy Woolly Bush Yellow-keeled Swainsona

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