Fragrant cudweed

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Fragrant cudweed flowers

Fragrant cudweed

Fragrant cudweed stem and leaves

Fragrant cudweed

Fragrant cudweed habit

Fragrant cudweed

Fragrant cudweed

Fragrant cudweed habit

Fragrant cudweed in winter

Fragrant cudweed

Fragrant cudweed

Morphology

Stem

Erect, 1 to few, branched above, white-woolly.

Leaves

Alternate, simple, sessile, narrowly lanceolate, 1 to 4 inches long, less than 1/2 inch wide, green and mostly glabrous above, white-woolly below; margins often wavy; tips pointed.

Inflorescence

Clusters of 1-5 heads, terminal; heads small; bracts many, overlapping, papery, whitish or rusty brown; tips pointed, blunt, or rounded.

Flower

Ray florets absent; disk florets in several series, corollas threadlike, dull white.

Fruit

Achenes, oval, glabrous, pale brown, tipped with distinct, tawny, hair-like bristles, enclosing small seed.

Ecology

Habitat

Dry, open prairies, pastures, old fields, roadsides, open woods, and waste areas, in sandy or rocky soils.

Distribution

East 2/3 of Kansas.

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans used fragrant cudweed to treat colds, coughs, muscle cramps, sore throats, and fevers.

Additional Notes

Synonyms

Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.