Omalotheca sylvatica, synonyms including Gnaphalium sylvaticum, is a species of plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commonly known as heath cudweed, wood cudweed, golden motherwort, chafeweed, owl's crown,An illustrated flora of the northern United States: Canada and the British possessions from Newfoundland to the parallel of the southern boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic ocean westward to the 102d meridian, Volume 3, 1898, p. 403. and woodland arctic cudweed. It is widespread across the temperate Northern Hemisphere, throughout North America and Eurasia.Altervista Flora Italiana, Gnaphalium sylvaticum L. includes photos and European distribution map The species was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Gnaphalium sylvaticum.
Description It is a perennial herb with short runners, growing to 8 to 60 cm tall. Its leaves are lanceolate in shape, pointed, 2 to 8 cm long, with a single vein. They have no hair on top, but are woolly hairy below. The upper leaves become progressively shorter and narrower. The flower heads are 6 mm long. The bracts of the flower heads have a green centre, and chaffy brown edges. The florets are pale brown. The achenes are hairy with reddish pappus hairs. It flowers from July until September.
References
External links
Online Atlas of the British and Irish flora, Gnaphalium sylvaticum (Heath Cudweed) Gnaphalium sylvaticum - (Omalotheca sylvatica) Botanik im Bild / Flora von Österreich