Carphephorus odoratissimus (syn. Trilisa odoratissima), common name vanillaleaf, is a species of North American plants in the family Asteraceae. This species is native to the southeastern United States, including the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution mapHenry J.-C. Hebert. 1968. Generic considerations concerning Carphephorus and Trilisa (Compositae). Rhodora 70:474-485
Carphephorus odoratissimus is a herbaceous perennial up to 180 cm (6 feet) in height, and is largely glabrous. It produces a flat-topped inflorescence with many small purplish flower heads containing disc florets but no ray florets.
Varieties Carphephorus odoratissimus var. odoratissimus - Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida Carphephorus odoratissimus var. subtropicanus Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen - Central and South Florida
Ecology Habitat C. odoratissimus primarily grows on sandy and well-drained loamy soils.Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: June 2014. Collectors: L. C. Anderson, E. L. Bridges, E. H. Butts, A. F. Clewell, R. K. Godfrey, R. D. Houk, R. Komarek, R. Kral, R. L. Lazor, J. Morrill, R. A. Norris, S. L. Orzell, J. D. Ray Jr., P. L. Redfearn Jr., V. I. Sullivan and R. White. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okaloosa, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Taylor, Wakulla, and Walton. Georgia: Grady and Thomas. It can be found in oak-pine woodlands on Ultisols, located on sand ridges within flatwoods,Carrington, M. E. and J. J. Mullahey (2013). "Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) flowering and fruiting response to time since fire." Rangeland Ecology & Management 66: 43-50. in moist areas, within burned upland longleaf pine-wiregrass communities,Kirkman, L. K., M. B. Drew, et al. (1998). "Effects of experimental fire regimes on the population dynamics of Schwalbea americana L." Plant Ecology 137: 115-137. and in pine-saw palmetto woodlands. Uses Carphephorus odoratissimus var. odoratissimus was given the common name vanillaleaf in reference to the vanilla-like odor that emanates from its foliage, which is due to the high (1.6%) content of coumarin as its major aromatic constituent. As a result, this variety has a history of use in cosmetics, herbal medicine, and as an additive to smoking tobacco. The leaves can be used to make a tonic for treating malaria. Korchmal, Arnold & Connie. 1973. A Guide to the Medicinal Plants of the United States. The New York Times Book Company, New York.
References
External links Florida Native Plant Society Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas Alabama Plant Atlas photo of herbarium specimen collected in Mississippi