Euchiton involucratus
Star cottonleaf, Star Cottonleaf
(c) Andy McKay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andy McKay · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Euchiton involucratus (Star cottonleaf) is a non-native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by mid-stem leaf positioning and long subtending bracts.
Star cottonleaf is a naturalized perennial herb found in northern coastal California (NCoRO) in grassy open places, often moist or wet, at elevations of 50 to 700 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces white or tawny flower heads in clusters 10 to 15 millimeters wide, with distinctive bracts extending beyond the flower clusters. Growing 30 to 40 centimeters tall with erect, simple stems, it develops linear to linear-oblanceolate leaves largest at mid-stem, with blades 3 to 8 centimeters long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. Its cauline leaves have slightly expanded bases, with 6 to 10 leaves distributed along the stem. The flower heads feature tawny or rosy-tinged phyllaries with rounded to obtuse tips, containing 80 to 150 pistillate flowers and 3 to 5 disk flowers.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key features are mid-stem leaf positioning and long subtending bracts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy open places, often moist or wet
Elevation: 50-700 m
Outside California: Massachusetts, native to New Zealand, Australia
Bloom period
Euchiton involucratus blooms Jul-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 involucratus native to California?
No. Euchiton involucratus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Euchiton involucratus bloom?
Euchiton involucratus blooms Jul-Oct.
What plant family does Euchiton involucratus belong to?
Euchiton involucratus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Euchiton.
What habitat does Euchiton involucratus grow in?
Euchiton involucratus grows in Grassy open places, often moist or wet.
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.