Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Family
Medicine- The juice of the plant is used externally to treat cuts and wounds.
Mexico to Central America
Thrives in grasslands, roadsides, slopes in valleys, at an elevation of 100-1500 m.
It is annual herb with a bushy or clump-forming growth pattern.
Stem is erect to prostrate (lying flat or sprawling), can be sparsely to densely hairy. Height ranges from 30-80 cm.
Leaves are triangular to ovate-shaped leaf blades, mostly 3-8 cm long and 2.5-4 cm wide. Margins have teeth. Lower surfaces can be sparsely to densely hairy, with no visible glandular dots.
Flowers are borne on stalks that are sticky-finely hairy, hairy, and have stalked glands. Phyllaries (modified leaves around the flower head) are narrowly lance-shaped, and sparsely to densely hairy. They have pointed tips and may have a fringe of hairs. Flower color is typically lavender to purple, but rarely white.
Fruit is small, dry achene with a single seed. Achene have a pappus (hair-like structure) that aids wind dispersal.
Flowering: June-October.