Pluchea rosea Godfrey
Rosy camphorweed, marsh fleabane, saltmarsh fleabane, scrubby camphorweed
Rosy camphorweed is native to the southeastern United States, as well as Texas, Mexico, the West Indies, and part of Central America. It was introduced into Hawaii, where it is considered a noxious weed. There are about 163 oils in this species, some of which contribute to its camphorlike odor.
Plants: This multiply branched perennial reaches 1–2′ (40–60 cm) in size. Fine hairs impart a silvery-gray sheen to the leaves.
Leaves: Alternate, attached directly to stems (sessile), oblong to obovate to elliptic, with shallowly toothed margins. They are up ¾–2½ ⨉ ⅛–1″ (2–7 cm ⨉ 5–30 mm).
Flowers: Flowers are arranged in rounded corymbs with clusters of small bright rose pink to purplish flowers. They appear in Jun-Jul.
Fruits: The fruit is a tiny achene tipped with a bristly pappus.
Habitats: Wet savannas, flatwoods, pond edges, borrow pits, and ditches.
Medical: An herbal tea prepared from this species is popular in some parts of the Caribbean. It is said to have stimulant, diuretic, and antispasmodic properties; as well as serving as a menstrual stimulant. It is not listed in the PDR for Herbal Medicines.
Online References:
Pluchea baccharis (Mill.) Pruski
4/12/2015 · Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) 
4/12/2015 · Rte. 41 (Tamiami), Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 5 × 5″ (12 × 13 cm) 
4/12/2015 · Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 7 × 7″ (17 × 18 cm) 
4/12/2015 · Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 6 × 5″ (14 × 13 cm) 
4/12/2015 · Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 7 × 8″ (18 × 19 cm) 
4/12/2015 · Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 6 × 7″ (15 × 17 cm) 
4/12/2015 · Rte. 41 (Tamiami), Everglades National Park, Florida · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Pluchea | For Noël-Antoine Pluche (1688-1761), a French naturalist |
| Species | rosea | Rosy-colored |
Pluchea rosea description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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