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- Logfia minima
Logfia minima — little false cotton-rose
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Facts
A diminutive weed native to Eurasia, little false cotton-rose has made an occasional appearance in North America in ship ballast dumps and open disturbed areas since 1878.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (human-disturbed or -maintained habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- 
                                
                                    - NA
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
 
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 7–12 mm
- Flower head width
- 1.5–2 mm
- Disk flower number
- 
                                
                                    - 21-50
- more than 50
 
- 
                        Flowers- Bract cycle number
- there is one main cycle of bracts
 - Bract inner side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their inner surfaces
 - Bract margins
- 
                                
                                    - there are few or no fine hairs along the bract margins
- there are fine hairs along the bract margins
 
 - Bract outer side hair type
- 
                                
                                    - the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with curled, tangled, matted, or woolly hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
 
 - Bract outer side hairs
- 
                                
                                    - the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
 
 - Bract shape
- the main bracts are of a different shape than the given options
 - Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
 - Bract width
- 0.8–1
 - Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
 - Disk flower color
- 
                                
                                    - green to brown
- white
- yellow
 
 - Disk flower lobe number
- 4
 - Disk flower number
- 
                                
                                    - 21-50
- more than 50
 
 - Disk flower reproductive parts
- 
                                
                                    - the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- the disk flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts
 
 - Flower head number
- 
                                
                                    - each flowering stem has four or more flower heads on it
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
 
 - Flower head platform
- the base has papery scales on it
 - Flower head position
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
 - Flower head profile
- 
                                
                                    - the disk bulges out at the sides, and is then rounded over the top
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
 
 - Flower head width
- 1.5–2 mm
 - Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
 - Height of flower head base
- 2.5–3.5 mm
 - Inflorescence shape
- 
                                
                                    - the flower heads grow in clusters from the axils of the branches or leaves
- the inflorescence is not flat-topped but appears rounded, with some flower heads distinctly higher than others
 
 - Inflorescence stem
- hairs are present on the stem of the inflorescence
 - Number of bracts at flower head base
- 5
 - Ovary attachment
- the ovary is attached at or near the base
 - Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
 - Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
 - Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
 - Ovary profile
- 
                                
                                    - in profile, the ovary is another shape
- in profile, the ovary is roughly egg-shaped, but widest above the middle
 
 - Ovary surface
- 
                                
                                    - NA
- the ovary surface is textured with tiny points, bumps or wrinkles
 
 - Ray flower color
- NA
 - Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
 - Ray flowers
- NA
 - Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
 - Scale tip
- the scales are blunt, with a terminal notch, or straight across the top
 - Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
 
- 
                        Fruits or seeds- Number of pappus parts
- 11 or more
 - Ovary length in developed fruit
- 0.5–0.9 mm
 - Seed hair tuft details
- the pappus hairs are smooth and plain
 - Seed hair tuft length
- 1.8–2.1 mm
 - Seed hair tuft tips
- the pappus hairs are slender
 - Seed hairs uniform
- all the pappus hairs are approximately the same length
 - Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of very fine hairs or bristles
 - Tuft or plume on fruit
- 
                                
                                    - NA
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
 
 
- 
                        Growth form- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
 - Plant lifespan
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
 - Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
 
- 
                        Leaves- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
 - Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
 - Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
 - Leaf blade base
- the leaf has no petiole
 - Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
 - Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
 - Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
 - Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
 - Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
 - Leaf blade length
- 7–12 mm
 - Leaf blade shape
- 
                                
                                    - the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
 
 - Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
 - Leaf blade width
- 1–2 mm
 - Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
 - Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
 - Leaf stalk
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
 - Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
 - Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
 
- 
                        Place- Habitat
- terrestrial
 - New England state
- Massachusetts
 - Specific habitat
- 
                                
                                    - human-disturbed or -maintained habitats
- meadows or fields
 
 
- 
                        Stem, shoot, branch- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
 - Stem bloom
- NA
 - Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
 - Stem internode hair type
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly
 - Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
 
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Logfia minima (Sm.) Dumort. E
little false cotton-rose. Filago minima (Sm.) Pers.; Gnaphalium minimum Sm.; Oglifa minima (Sm.) Reichenb. • MA. Fields, areas of cultivation.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Filago vulgaris:
- chaff of carpellate flowers acuminate to aristate at apex, not saccate, merely enfolding a disk flower, and receptacle clavate, 5-15 times as tall as wide (vs. L. minima, with chaff of carpellate flowers blunt at apex, +/- saccate, enclosing a disk flower, and receptable obovoid to abruptly expanded at apex, 0.4-1.6 times as tall as wide).
Synonyms
- Filago minima (Sm.) Pers.
- Gnaphalium minimum Sm.
- Oglifa minima (Sm.) Reichenb.
![Leaves: Logfia minima. ~ By Ben Legler. ~ Copyright © 2025 Ben Legler. ~ mountainmarmot[at]hotmail.com ~ U. of Washington - WTU - Herbarium - biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Asteraceae/logfia-minima-le-blegler.jpg) 
                        ![Stems: Logfia minima. ~ By Ben Legler. ~ Copyright © 2025 Ben Legler. ~ mountainmarmot[at]hotmail.com ~ U. of Washington - WTU - Herbarium - biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Asteraceae/logfia-minima-st-blegler.jpg) 
                         
                         
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