Gamochaeta pensylvanica explained

Gamochaeta pensylvanica, the Pennsylvania cudweed^[1] or Pennsylvania everlasting, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to South America and introduced into Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and North America. The pensylvanica epithet is a misnomer, as the plant is not native to Pennsylvania and only marginally naturalized there.^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Gamochaeta pensylvanica is an annual herb up to 50cm (20inches) tall. Leaves are up to 7cm (03inches) long, light green because of woolly hairs on the surfaces (though not as dense as in some related species). The plant forms many small flower heads in elongated arrays. Each head contains 3–4 purple disc flowers but no ray flowers.^[7]

External links

• photo of herbarium specimen collected in Guatemala
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas

Notes and References

1. http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Pennsylvania%20Cudweed.html Flowers of India, Pennsylvania Cudweed. Gamochaeta pensylvanica
2. http://www.guynesom.com/Gamochaetarecords.pdf Guy L. Nesom 2004. New distribution records for Gamochaeta (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae) in the United States. Sida 21(2): 1175–1185.
3. http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Gamochaeta%20pensylvanica.png Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
4. Cabrera, A. L. 1978. Compositae. 10: 1–726. In A. L. Cabrera (ed.) Flora de la provincia de Jujuy. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Buenos Aires
5. Jørgensen, P. M., M. H. Nee & S. G. Beck. (eds.) 2014. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia, Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 127(1–2): i–viii, 1–1744.
6. Luteyn, J. L. 1999. Páramos, a checklist of plant diversity, geographical distribution, and botanical literature. Memoirs of The New York Botanical Garden 84: viii–xv, 1–278.
7. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=242323042 Flora of China, Gamochaeta pensylvanica (Willdenow) Cabrera, 1961. 匙叶合冠鼠麴草 shi ye he guan shu qu cao