Filago vulgaris Lam.
common filago (common cottonrose)
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
common filago (common cottonrose)
Asteraceae (Aster family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
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.
Illustration
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
Habitat and Range
Open, grassy sites and disturbed areas in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known only from the Gulf Islands; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Filago germanica L. 1763, nom. illeg., non Filago germanica Huds. 1762
Gifola germanica Dumort.
Gnaphalium germanicum Scop.