Micropus amphibolus
Encyclopedia
Micropus amphibolus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name Mount Diablo cottonseed. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from the San Francisco Bay Area
and nearby mountains, growing in open, rocky habitat. It is an annual herb similar in appearance to its relative, the "Q-tips
". It produces one or more small, erect stems coated thinly in wispy, webby fibers. The inflorescence
is a spherical flower head
a few millimeters wide which resembles a tiny cotton boll
since the flowers and maturing fruits are very woolly.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name Mount Diablo cottonseed. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known from the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and nearby mountains, growing in open, rocky habitat. It is an annual herb similar in appearance to its relative, the "Q-tips
Micropus californicus
Micropus californicus is a plant in the daisy family 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...
". It produces one or more small, erect stems coated thinly in wispy, webby fibers. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a spherical flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
a few millimeters wide which resembles a tiny cotton boll
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
since the flowers and maturing fruits are very woolly.