Cotton-batting-plant
StarPseudognaphalium stramineum
Synonyms: Gnaphalium lagopodioides, Gnaphalium sulphurescens, Gnaphalium chilense, Gnaphalium luteoalbum var. sprengelii, Gnaphalium gossypinum, Gnaphalium sprengelii, Gnaphalium chilense var. confertifolia, Gnaphalium berlandieri, Gnaphalium proximum, Gnaphalium stramineum
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Several western North American peoples used cotton-batting plant medicinally. The Kawaiisu applied a hot poultice of the leaves and stems as an analgesic (Zigmond, 1981), and the Pomo used a poultice of the plant as a dermatological remedy for a swollen face (Gifford, 1967). The Navajo (Ramah) regarded it as a 'life medicine' panacea and also used it ceremonially as an emetic (Vestal, 1952). Beyond medicine, the Kashaya Pomo employed the soft cottony flower tops as stuffing material in connection with hunting and fishing (Goodrich & Lawson, 1980).
Gallery
Botanical Description
Pseudognaphalium stramineum (formerly Gnaphalium stramineum), the cotton-batting plant or cudweed, is an annual or biennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to western North America and ranging widely from Canada through the United States into Mexico, where it grows in open, disturbed and sandy ground, fields, roadsides and dry stream beds. It reaches 20 to 60 centimetres in height, with branching stems densely covered in white woolly (tomentose) hairs that give the plant a soft, cottony appearance. The narrow, linear to oblanceolate leaves are also woolly and clasp the stem at the base. The small flower heads are crowded into dense, rounded, leafy-bracted clusters at the stem tips; each head has straw-coloured to whitish papery phyllaries (giving the epithet stramineum, 'straw-coloured') surrounding tiny yellowish disc florets. Flowering occurs from late spring through autumn. The cottony foliage and persistent dry heads are distinctive features of this widespread weedy species.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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