straggler daisy
Calyptocarpus vialis
When repeatedly mowed, this clever plant adapts by blooming much closer to the soil, sometimes flowering at heights of less than an inch.
- Scientific name
- Calyptocarpus vialis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Calyptocarpus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- urban
- Habitat
- Lawns, parks, disturbed soils, shaded woodland edges, and roadsides.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (produces energy via photosynthesis using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide).
- Range
- Southern United States, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean
- Size
- Creeping groundcover growing 3 to 12 inches (8 to 30 cm) tall, spreading several feet wide.
- Lifespan
- Perennial (indefinite lifespan through vegetative spreading).
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread chemical herbicide application in manicured lawns and severe, multi-year droughts.
- Safe to approach?
- This plant is entirely harmless and safe to touch. It makes an excellent, eco-friendly native lawn alternative that tolerates heavy foot traffic. No special precautions are needed.
Calyptocarpus vialis is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Common names for C. vialis include straggler daisy , horseherb , lawnflower , and creeping Cinderella-weed . It is native to the southern United States, Mexico, Belize, Venezuela, and the Caribbean. It has also been introduced to Argentina, Hawaii, India, Java, Australia, and Taiwan. It is one of only three species in the genus Calyptocarpus .
Photo: 葉子, CC0, via iNaturalist
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