Family: Aster (Asteraceae)

Description: Profusely branching, herbaceous perennial with narrowly linear, sessile, 1-veined leaves to about 4 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide. The stems are often reddish purple with a flat-topped, spreading cluster of small disk flowers (5-10 per head; sometimes with a single ray flower) covering the plant like a flat umbrella.

Blooms: All year

Found: Mostly coastal habitat, but sometimes inland, from Florida to the West Indies and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

Note: This is one of the most common wildflowers of coastal Florida, commonly forming large, spreading colonies. Four members of the genus are found in Florida, but this is easily the most well-known spicies.