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Paper Daisy
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Paper Daisy
ntroduced Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Paper daisy, Strawflower • Manipuri: ꯆꯦꯔꯩ Cherei
Botanical name: Xerochrysum bracteatum    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
Synonyms: Bracteantha bracteata, Helichrysum bracteatum (Vent.) Andrews

Strawflower is an upright, warm-weather annual or short lived perennial with daisy-like flowerheads in yellow, pink, bronze, cream, purple or white. Strawflower has thin, lance shaped, grayish green leaves up to 5 in long, and sandpapery, hollow, branching stems that may reach 3-4 ft in height. From late spring until fall, strawflower bears flowerheads about 2 in across singly or in few-flowered clusters on the ends of the branches. What look like ray flowers or petals are actually bracts (modified leaves) surrounding the central corolla. The bracts are papery with a straw-like, crackly texture, hence the common name. The corolla is like the disc of more typical daisies, composed of many tiny florets.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Delhi and Nilgiri Hills.

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