Chaptalia tomentosa Vent.

Common Name and Native Origin

Chaptalia tomentosa, commonly called pineland daisy, is a plant species native to the southeastern United States.

Documented Range in United States

It has been documented in southern Alabama, Florida, southern Georgia, Louisiana, eastern Texas, southern Mississippi, eastern North Carolina, and South Carolina.

West Indies Distribution Claim

Some publications also list the species from the West Indies, but this claim relies on the assumption that Chaptalia azurensis is a synonym of Chaptalia tomentosa.

Taxonomic Status

Chaptalia tomentosa is the type species for the genus Chaptalia.

Habitat and Growth Substrate

It grows in sandy soil in bogs, savannahs, and open areas across the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain.

Growth Form

It is a perennial herb that grows in a leaf rosette and does not produce an underground rhizome.

Leaf Shape and Size

Its leaves are elliptical, reaching up to 25 cm in length.

Leaf Underside Characteristics

The underside of the leaves is densely covered in a thick coat of hairs, giving it a gray-white to orange color.

Ray Flower Coloration

Its ray flowers are cream-colored, with a purple streak running along the underside.

Achene Characteristics

Its achenes are glabrous, up to 6 mm long, with a slender hairy neck at the top that is 20-25% as long as the achene body.