Baccharis caespitosa

Native to the Andes from Ecuador through Peru and Bolivia to northwestern Argentina and northern and central Chile, this dwarf perennial subshrub forms low mats or small cushions. Its short shoots rise less than an inch above the ground, while underground stems allow it to spread. Small flower heads sit directly at the branch tips, each surrounded by a collar of leaves. Tiny one-seeded fruits develop tufts of fine hairs that lengthen as they mature. In Chile, it occurs between about 11,500 and 13,100 feet. Photographed in Peru.