DACF Home → Bureaus & Programs → Maine Natural Areas Program → Communities, Plants, and Animals → Rare Plants → Omalotheca supina
Omalotheca supina (L.) DC.
Alpine Cudweed
- State Rank: S1
- Global Rank: G5
- State Status: Endangered
Habitat: Alpine places. [Alpine or subalpine (non-forested, upland)]
Range: Circumboreal, south to the alpine regions of northern Maine and northern New Hampshire.
Aids to Identification: This perennial cudweed grows only to a height of 2-10 cm. The basal leaves are long and narrow (2.5 cm x 3 mm), and the stem leaves are similar but few. The whitish flowers are arranged in one to several terminal clusters, which are either spike-like or raceme-like.
Ecological characteristics: In Maine, this species is known only to occur above treeline on Mt. Katahdin.
Phenology: Flowers July - September.
Family: Asteraceae
Synonyms: Gnaphalium supinum L.
Known Distribution in Maine: This rare plant has been documented from a total of 1 town(s) in the following county(ies): Piscataquis.
Reason(s) for rarity: At southern limit and disjunct from principal range.
Conservation considerations: Populations could be threatened by heavy recreational (hiking) use.