Pluchea paniculata - Panicled Camphorweed

Panicled Camphorweed is an annual herb with stems are simple or branched from base, erect, 0.15-1.5 m tall, hairy particularly in the younger parts. Leaves are ovate-lanceshaped or obovate, base tapering, pointed, margins sawtoothed-toothed, 4-18 x 1-6 cm, the upper entire, the lower lyrately lobed, all hairy on both surfaces. Flower-heads are borne in lax panicles, clustered at the ends of branches, 5-8 mm in diameter, flower-cluster-stalk hairy, glandular, up to 3 cm long. Involucral bracts are pruplish-tinged, slightly longer than florets, linear, 1-9 mm, velvet-hairy, reflexed, inner with scarious margins. Receptacle is flat or slightly convex, alveolate, glarbous. Flowers of bisexual florets are yellow, tubular, 4-6 mm long, 5-lobed; lobes pointed, velvet-hairy; flowers of female florets are thread-like, 4-5 mm long, 2-3 -lobed, hairless. Seed-pods are brown, oblong, ribbed, velvet-hairy. Pappus white, up to 5 mm long. Panicled Camphorweed is found in forests, valleys along streams in the Himalayas, at altitudes of 300-1400 m. It is also found in South India, Sri Lanka and SE Asia. Flowering: February-June.