Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata
Broadleaf cottonrose, Broadleaf Cottonrose
(c) Andre Hosper, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andre Hosper · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Annual · Not Native
Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata (Broadleaf cottonrose) is a non-native California annual in the Asteraceae family, recognized by Mediterranean introduction representing a genus otherwise absent from North America.
Broadleaf cottonrose is a naturalized annual found in northern Coastal Range Interior, northern Central Coast, and northern and central San Francisco Bay bioregions in disturbed, often rocky places at elevations of 10 to 800 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces yellow flowers in dense, spherical clusters up to 15 millimeters in diameter. Growing with slender stems that branch at forks and tips, it forms compact, angular ellipsoid flower heads 5 to 7 millimeters long. Its leaves are elongated, with the longest leaves 15 to 20 millimeters in length and 3 to 5 millimeters wide, becoming smaller and more obtuse toward the stem tips. The plant's disk flowers range from 5 to 9, with corollas 2 to 3 millimeters long and lobes typically brown to yellow.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Mediterranean introduction representing a genus otherwise absent from North America
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed, often rocky places
Elevation: 10-800 m
Outside California: southern British Columbia, Australia, native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Pseudognaphalium: Filago has cylindrical heads with bracts folded open; Pseudognaphalium has rounded heads with papery overlapping bracts.; vs Micropus: Filago has open bracts not enclosing flowers and cylindrical heads; Micropus has bracts tightly wrapped around each flower like envelopes.; vs Logfia: Filago has cylindrical heads 5-15 times taller than wide; Logfia has globular to egg-shaped heads less than 3 times taller than wide.; vs Stylocline: Filago has pappus bristles on all flowers; Stylocline has pappus only on central disk flowers, none on outer female flowers.; vs Psilocarphus: Filago has cylindrical woolly heads with visible pappus; Psilocarphus has rounded woolly heads with fruits completely hidden by bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata native to California?
No. Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata bloom?
Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata blooms Apr-Aug.
What plant family does Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata belong to?
Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Filago.
What habitat does Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata grow in?
Filago pyramidata var. pyramidata grows in Uncommon. Disturbed, often rocky places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.