Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Gnaphalium uliginosum

Other names

Cudweed

Family

Asteraceae

Flowering season

July to September

English distribution

It is found throughout the country except for a few parts

of the East.

See the BSBI distribution map for Marsh Cudweed

Habitat

It grows on damp bare ground such as trampled gateways,

the edges of summer-drying and shrinking water bodies,

and tracks in woods and on heaths.

It is increasing.

Description

Marsh Cudweed is a native, annual, mainly prostrate,

grey herb, growing up to 25cm.

Flowerheads are in clusters of up to 40.

Individual flowerheads are 5mm.

The outer florets are small, yellow and female and the

 Inner florets are hermaphrodite.

Outer bracts are short and woolly and the inner bracts

longer, yellowish and pointed.

Leaves are up to 2cm long and lanceolate.

They are covered in white hairs.

Stems are variously branched and also covered in

woolly hairs.