Euchiton sphaericus |
Euchiton involucratus |
|
---|---|---|
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 |
CA; OR; se Asia; Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Guinea, New Zealand); Australia [Introduced in North America]
|
CA; MA; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia [Introduced in North America] |
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 | ||
Synonyms | Gnaphalium sphaericum | Gnaphalium involucratum |
Name authority | (Willdenow) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 167. (1991) | (G. Forster) Anderberg: Opera Bot. 104: 167. (1991) |
Web links |