Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Galinsoga quadriradiata

Family

Asteraceae

Flowering season

June to October

English distribution

It is scattered throughout the country but is most common

in the South and southern parts of  the Northwest.

See the BSBI distribution map for Shaggy-soldier

Habitat

It is a neophyte first seen in the wild in the 1900s.

It grows as a weed in arable crops and on agricultural

waste ground.

It is also found in built up areas where it colonises

brownfield sites, rubbish tips and cracks in concrete.

It is on the increase.

Description

Shaggy-soldier is an annual, sprawling herb, growing

up to 80cm.

The flowerheads are small, up to 7mm. 

The 5 outer ray-florets are 3-lobed and white.

Inner disc-florets are yellow.

Leaves are opposite, broad-pointed ovals and covered in

long flexuous hairs.

Upper leaves are linear.

The stem is wiry, branched and shaggily hairy.

Shaggy-soldier is similar to, but much hairier than,

Gallant-soldier, Galinsoga parviflora.