General:
Annual herb from a fibrous root; stems erect, branched above, greyish to green, cobwebby, 10-35 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, entire, oblanceolate, abruptly pointed at the tip, 5-10 cm long, 1-4 mm wide, greyish-green.

Flowers:
Heads disciform, terminal in a dense globose cluster, additional globose clusters in the leaf axils on upper branches; involucres about 5 mm tall; involucral bracts boat-shaped, subtending outermost flowers, woolly throughout; inner flowers 2-5, appearing perfect but often sterile, bractless.

Fruits:
Achenes 0.7-1 mm, ellipsoid, compressed side-to-side, finely hairy; pappus of white, hairlike bristles.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Illustration Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Filago germanica L. 1763, nom. illeg., non Filago germanica Huds. 1762
Gifola germanica Dumort.
Gnaphalium germanicum Scop.