Euchiton gymnocephalus
Creeping cudweed
(c) Joe Potter Butler, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Euchiton gymnocephalus (Creeping cudweed) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by key distinguishing feature is presence of leafy stolons.
Creeping cudweed is a naturalized perennial herb found in the Klamath Ranges and northern coastal California in woodland openings and roadsides at elevations below 800 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces small white to tawny flower heads in clusters 10 to 20 millimeters wide with rounded phyllary tips. Growing with fibrous roots and leafy stolons that root at the nodes, it forms spreading stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall that are simple or branched. Its leaves are distinctive, with basal rosettes having oblanceolate to spoon-shaped blades 2 to 10 centimeters long, while cauline leaves are narrow and linear, 1 to 2 centimeters long and 1 to 2 millimeters wide. The plant produces small flower clusters with 40 to 60 pistillate flowers and 3 to 5 disk flowers.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key distinguishing feature is presence of leafy stolons
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in woodland, roadsides
Elevation: < 800 m
Outside California: Oregon, native to New Zealand, Australia
Bloom period
Euchiton gymnocephalus blooms May-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Pseudognaphalium: Euchiton has dense spherical clusters with a leafy bract collar underneath; Pseudognaphalium has open, branched clusters without this collar.; vs Artemisia: Euchiton forms tight white ball-like flower clusters in moist areas; Artemisia has tiny greenish flowers in loose spikes and aromatic foliage.; vs Plecostachys: Euchiton has flower clusters tightly surrounded by prominent leafy bracts; Plecostachys lacks this distinctive bract collar arrangement.; vs Anaphalis: Euchiton has spherical clusters surrounded by leafy bracts; Anaphalis has flat-topped clusters without this leafy collar.; vs Gnaphalium: Euchiton has erect stems with ball-like flower clusters and leafy bract collars; Gnaphalium has prostrate stems without this structure.
Frequently asked questions
Is Euchiton gymnocephalus native to California?
No. Euchiton gymnocephalus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Euchiton gymnocephalus bloom?
Euchiton gymnocephalus blooms May-Oct.
What plant family does Euchiton gymnocephalus belong to?
Euchiton gymnocephalus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Euchiton.
What habitat does Euchiton gymnocephalus grow in?
Euchiton gymnocephalus grows in Openings in woodland, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.