Emilia sonchifolia (Cupid’s Shaving Brush)

Native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia, this short-lived herb usually grows as an annual. Slender, branching stems reach about 1 to 2 feet tall. Small heads of lavender, pink, or purple tubular florets rise above the foliage, and the dry fruits carry white hairs that help disperse them. It thrives in sunny roadsides, fields, gardens, and disturbed ground and has become naturalized in Colombia. In Colombia, it occurs from lowlands to about 5,900 feet. It is used in traditional medicine. Photographed in the central Andes of Colombia.