Diplostephium espinosae

Endemic to Ecuador, this evergreen shrub grows in high Andean cloud forests and páramo shrublands. It has dense foliage with small, leathery leaves that are woolly underneath, and its flower heads have pale lilac rays. In Ecuador, it occurs at roughly 8,200 to 13,100 feet, in provinces including Loja and Zamora Chinchipe. It is classified as Near Threatened. Photographed in Ecuador.