Diplostephium ericoides

Endemic to Ecuador, this densely branched shrub grows in rocky páramo scrub, grassy slopes and stream margins between about 8,200 and 14,800 feet. Its branches have grayish-white woolly hairs. The tiny, alternate leaves are narrow and leathery, with their margins rolled downward and their lower surfaces densely woolly. Flower heads grow at the tips of the branches. Each head combines white, strap-shaped ray florets around a center of yellow to orange tubular florets. The small dry fruits carry a crown of white hairs. It can be propagated from seed, although germination can be low and young plants need consistent moisture without waterlogging. Photographed in Ecuador.