Cottony Goldenaster

Chrysopsis gossypina, the cottony goldenaster, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States, from eastern Louisiana to southeastern Virginia.

Chrysopsis gossypina is a biennial or short-lived perennial up to 70 cm tall. One plant can produce as many as 30 small, yellow flower heads, each head with both ray florets and disc florets. The species can grow in a variety of habitats and sometimes hybridizes with related species.

Subspecies

Chrysopsis gossypina subsp. cruiseana (Dress) Semple - coastal sand dunes in Florida + Alabama

Chrysopsis gossypina subsp. gossypina - open areas from Florida to Virginia

Chrysopsis gossypina subsp. hyssopifolia (Nutt.) Semple - Louisiana to Florida