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globe cotton-leaf, star-cudweed, tropical creeping cudweed

common creeping-cudweed, common-cudweed, star cottonleaf

Habit Annuals, 5–80 cm; taprooted; stolons absent. Biennials or perennials, 30–40 cm; fibrous-rooted; stolons usually absent [reportedly present in Australia and New Zealand].
Aerial stems

simple or branched from bases (sometimes branched from leaf axils), thinly and persistently white-tomentose.

erect, simple, thinly and persistently white-tomentose.

Leaves

basal and proximal cauline withering before flowering (blades 1-nerved, oblanceolate to spatulate);

cauline 8–12, blades linear, 2–4 cm × 1–2 mm (largest at midstem), bases not clasping, margins revolute, sometimes undulate, abaxial faces white, tomentose, adaxial faces green, glabrous.

basal withering before flowering;

cauline 6–10, blades linear to linear-oblanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 3–8 cm × 2–3 mm (largest at midstem), bases subclasping (not ampliate), margins revolute, abaxial faces silvery, tomentose, adaxial faces green, glabrate (shiny).

Bracts

subtending heads 4–8, 10–30 mm, surpassing heads.

subtending heads 3–5, 10–15 mm, surpassing heads, plus some shorter.

Involucres

3.5–4 mm.

4–4.5 mm.

Pistillate florets

16–26.

80–150.

Bisexual florets

1.

3–5(–7).

Phyllaries

brownish to tawny, sometimes purple-tinged (shiny), elliptic-lanceolate, apices acute.

tawny or rosy-tinged (shiny), oblong, apices rounded to obtuse.

Heads

in globose clusters 10–20 mm diam.

in hemispheric clusters 10–15 mm diam. (sometimes with axillary clusters).

Pappus

bristles distinct or basally coherent (falling in groups).

bristles distinct or basally coherent (falling in groups).

2n

= 28.

Euchiton sphaericus

Euchiton involucratus

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Grassy open places in wooded areas, disturbed soils, recent clearings Grassy open places, often moist or wet
Elevation 30–700 m (100–2300 ft) 50–700 m (200–2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; se Asia; Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Guinea, New Zealand); Australia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; MA; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In California and Hawaii, plants of Euchiton sphaericus have been identified as Gnaphalium japonicum; annual duration, slender taproots, non-clasping leaf bases, and single bisexual florets establish the correct identity of E. sphaericus. It “varies enormously in length, position and degree of branching, and the branches may be either vegetative or flower-bearing” (D. G. Drury 1972).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 441. FNA vol. 19, p. 441.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Euchiton Asteraceae > tribe Gnaphalieae > Euchiton
Sibling taxa
E. gymnocephalus, E. involucratus
E. gymnocephalus, E. sphaericus
Synonyms Gnaphalium sphaericum Gnaphalium involucratum
Name authority (Willdenow) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 167. (1991) (G. Forster) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 167. (1991)
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