About Chrysopsis gossypina (Michx.) Elliott
Chrysopsis gossypina, commonly known as cottony goldenaster, is a North American flowering plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family. It is native to the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States, ranging from eastern Louisiana to southeastern Virginia. This species is a biennial or short-lived perennial that grows up to 70 cm tall. A single individual can produce up to 30 small yellow flower heads, each of which contains both ray florets and disc florets. It can grow in a wide range of habitats, and sometimes hybridizes with closely related species. Three subspecies are recognized: Chrysopsis gossypina subsp. cruiseana (Dress) Semple, which grows in coastal sand dunes of Florida and Alabama; Chrysopsis gossypina subsp. gossypina, found in open areas from Florida to Virginia; and Chrysopsis gossypina subsp. hyssopifolia (Nutt.) Semple, distributed from Louisiana to Florida.
