Q-tips
Micropus californicus
Its common name 'Q-tips' comes from the fuzzy, white, cotton-like clusters of flower heads that closely resemble miniature cotton swabs.
- Scientific name
- Micropus californicus
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Micropus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open grasslands, chaparral, clay flats, and sandy foothill slopes.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis requiring sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- California, Oregon, Baja California
- Size
- Normally 1 to 6 inches (2.5 to 15 cm) tall.
- Lifespan
- 1 year (annual herb)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to urban development, invasive non-native grasses, and heavy foot or vehicle traffic.
- Safe to approach?
- This plant is entirely harmless. You can safely observe and photograph it from a close distance. Avoid stepping on these small herbs, as their shallow root systems in clay soils are easily damaged by trampling.
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 resemblance to the cotton swabs. It is found mostly in California, and into Oregon and northern Baja California. This plant is a resident of the vernal pool...
Photo: no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist
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