HEATH CUDWEED

Omalotheca sylvatica

(Formerly: Gnaphalium sylvaticum)
Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]

Flowers:
month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

Pappus: pappusZpossible (simple)
pappus8aug pappus8sep pappus8sept pappus8oct pappus8nov

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8cream
inner
inner8pink
inner
inner8brown
petals
petalsZ0
type
typeZspiked
stem
stem8round
sex
sexZbisexual

19th Aug 2013, Rewell Wood, West Sussex Photo: © Dawn Nelson
The stems are upright and grow to 60cm high. The flowers are in a long spike which hardly tapers (if at all).


19th Aug 2013, Rewell Wood, West Sussex Photo: © Dawn Nelson
Te leaves are long and linear but supposed to be green on the upperside (and hoary on the underside), however in these specimens there is not a lot of green on the upperside to be seen (nor on Wikipedias specimen).


19th Aug 2013, Rewell Wood, West Sussex Photo: © Dawn Nelson
The leaves are hoary on their undersides.


19th Aug 2013, Rewell Wood, West Sussex Photo: © Dawn Nelson
The flowers are pale-yellow to pink. Some are rather cylindrical whilst many others are bulbous near at the phyllaries tapering to the inflorescence.
The phyllaries surrounding each flower are brownish on their edges and green in the centre. The flowers are all tubular; the inner flowers are bisexual whilst the outer are female and with narrower corollas.


Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : see captions.

It is a natice plant which occupies open ground on heaths, fields, woodland rides and banks.

It occurs frequently over a lot of the British Isles, Isle of Man and Ireland but avoids most of the west. It is decreasing in occurrence especially in the West.


  Omalotheca sylvatica  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒   

Distribution

 BSBI maps
genus8Omalotheca
Omalotheca
(Cudweeds)

HEATH CUDWEED

Omalotheca sylvatica

(Formerly: Gnaphalium sylvaticum)
Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]