About Blepharipappus scaber Hook.
Blepharipappus is a North American plant genus in the Asteraceae family that holds only one known species: Blepharipappus scaber Hook. This species has the common names rough eyelash and rough eyelashweed. The genus name combines the Greek word 'Blepharis', meaning 'eyelash', with 'pappus', which refers to the feathery structure on the plant's seeds.
Blepharipappus scaber is a small, inconspicuous annual herb native to the northwestern United States, where it occurs in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and northern California. It grows in sandy soil within forests at elevations between 300 and 2,200 meters (980 and 7,220 feet), and also grows in the western part of the sagebrush steppe.
This plant reaches only several inches in height, and produces slender, fuzzy stems with alternate leaves. One to several daisy-like flower heads bloom at the top of each stem. The flower heads hold 3 to 8 three-lobed ray florets, which are white with purple markings. The center of the flower head is packed with approximately 10 white disc florets that have purple anthers. The fruit of the plant is a dark achene, which often has a pappus made of a few stiff, light-colored bristles. This pappus resembles human eyelashes, which is the source of the species' common name.
Some Plateau Indian tribes used this plant as part of a treatment for bloody diarrhea. Blepharipappus scaber is similar to Layia glandulosa, which differs by having yellow disc flowers.
