Chrysogonum virginianum L. var. australe (Alexander ex Small) Ahles

Southern Green and Gold; Gulf Coast Green and Gold

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Southern Green and Gold is a native herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to southern two-thirds of Alabama. Southern Green and Gold occurs in mesic hardwood forests, on ravine slopes, and on higher terraces along streams. It is a perennial with a fibrous root system from short rhizomes. Leaves form a basal rosette with a very short upright stem. The leaves are petiolate, elliptic to ovate in outline, pubescent, with crenate margins. Variety australe is colonial from long stolons. Flowers are produced in heads. The heads are solitary on short peduncles. The flower heads are subtended by 2 series of phyllaries. The outer series is large and foliaceous and the inner series in smaller. Each flower head has 5 pistillate ray flowers and 25-50 staminate disc flowers. The ray and disc flowers are yellow in color. The fruit is an achene. The achene is attached to one inner phyllary, 3 paleae, and 3 disc florets, forming a "cypsela-complex" that falls as a single unit. The complex also contains an elaiosome at the base of the phyllary. The elaiosome is a fleshy, oil-rich structure that functions to attract ants which disperse the fruit. Southern Green and Gold is often available from native plant nurseries. It can be naturalized as a ground cover under trees, or used as a “filler” between other larger perennials.--A. Diamond

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Native

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