# 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.

- **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.

## About

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...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/37a54443-9a0a-4649-8cd9-46452e5a27c5
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56975
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micropus californicus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/16519243/medium.jpg (no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.