Cassinia laevis

Cassinia laevis, known as cough bush or curry bush, is an erect, aromatic shrub of the Asteraceae endemic to eastern and southern Australia. It grows 1–3 m tall with slender, ribbed stems and dense, alternate, narrow-linear leaves 1–4 cm long and 1–3 mm wide, dark green and glabrous above, white-tomentose beneath, with strongly revolute margins giving an almost terete appearance. When crushed, the foliage emits a curry-like or balsamic odour. Inflorescences are dense, flat-topped corymbs 3–8 cm across composed of many small, cylindrical heads; each head holds 3–6 disc florets enclosed by 5–8 series of pale-yellow to cream, scarious, papery phyllaries. There are no ray florets. Achenes are tiny, finely papillose, and crowned by a pappus of barbellate bristles. Flowering occurs mainly in summer. The species inhabits dry sclerophyll forests, woodlands, and rocky ridges on sandy or skeletal soils.