''Micropus californicus'' is a plant in the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
which is known by the common name slender cottonweed. Its flowerheads resemble very small cotton balls, often rounded with cottony white hairs forming the
pappus of each seed. The individual plants are known more informally as Q-tips due to their resemblance to the
cotton swab
Cotton is a soft, fluffy Staple (textiles), staple fiber that grows in a wikt:boll, boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose ...
s. It is found mostly in California, and into Oregon and northern Baja California. This plant is a resident of the
vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...
plant community.
References
* C.Michael Hogan, ed. 2010.
californicus''. Encyclopedia of LifeJepson Manual Treatment
External links
Gnaphalieae
Flora of California
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Gnaphalieae-stub