Kingdom Plantae Family Asteraceae Scientific name Psilocarphus brevissimus | Order Asterales Genus Psilocarphus Rank Species | |
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Similar Psilocarphus, Psilocarphus tenellus, Downingia, Callitriche marginata, Eryngium aristulatum | ||
Psilocarphus brevissimus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names short woollyheads, woolly marbles, and woolly heads.
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The plant is native to western North America — from southwestern Canada, through California, to northwestern Mexico, as well as in southern South America. It grows in moist flats such as vernal pools, wetlands, and similar areas. It is found from sea level to 8,202 feet (2,500 m).
Description
Psilocarphus brevissimus is a small, woolly annual herb growing just a few centimeters tall with a branching stem or multiple stems. The small, gray-green leaves are erect, pointing up parallel to the stem and sometimes appressed to it.
The inflorescence is a small, spherical flower head which is a cluster of several tiny woolly disc flowers surrounded by leaflike bracts but no phyllaries. Each tiny flower is covered in a scale which is densely woolly with long white fibers, making the developing head appear cottony.
Varieties
There are two varieties of Psilocarphus brevissimus: