birding-aus Dead Finish

[Lloyd Nielsen <>]

Hi all,

Seems as though there are a number of plants called  'Dead Finish'.  When I lived in SE Qld there was a widespread shrub which grew to about 2 metres mostly  in extensive dense patches - I think it was called Cassinia laevis from memory.  It was widely known as 'Dead Finish'.  It flowered profusely but the small flower was brown on the outside.  In full flower, the whole bush, and the whole area would take on a brownish, quite dead  look, appearing as though the bushes had just died.  Sometimes whole hillsides looked dead.  When the flowers did dry off they hung on the bushes, extending the dead look  for weeks.

Lloyd Nielsen
Mt Molloy
Nth Qld