THE DAISY FAMILY 
139 
FILAGO. (FILAGO, LINN.) — Flower-heads small, numerous, several-flowered, stalkless 
(sessile), in tight clusters terminating the stems. Florets all tubular, those in the centre perfect, 
surrounded by several rows of stamenless (female) florets with hair-like corollas. Flower-bracts in 
several rows, few, membranous, long, and pointed. Calyx-tube tipped with hairs ; petals 5, united 
into a tube and separating into 5 short teeth, or hair-like in the female florets ; stamens 5, with the 
united anthers with bristles (tails) at their base, or o ; carpels 2, united ; fruit a head of 
achenes, each achene tipped with the calyx-hairs (pappus). Annual herbs with alternate, entire, 
small, woolly leaves. 
Common Filago. (Filago germanica, Linn.)— As just described. Flower-heads 
about £ inch across, in dense, round terminal clusters; the florets 20-40 in each head, yellowish, 
half sunk in wool, and shorter than the flower-bracts, which are smooth, with yellowish, membranous 
tips and form a yellowish-brown angular involucre ; the stem 3 inches to 1 foot high, erect, cottony, 
terminating in a roundish woolly cluster of flower-heads, from the base of which spring two or 
more branches, each terminating in a similar flower cluster ; the leaves erect, narrow, wavy, and 
woolly. [ Plate 65. 
This plant used to be called “ Herba Impia” (the undutiful plant), from its curious method 
of branching, as if the offshoots were guilty of disrespect to their parent by over-topping it. 
Common on mountain-sides, dry gravelly pastures. July — August. Annual. 
Red-tipped Filago. (Filago apieulata, G.E. Sm.)— Very like the Common Filago 
(Filago germanica), and;often regarded merely as a variety. It differs in its larger, more sharply 
5-angled clusters of flower-heads, which have fewer florets half sunk in cottony wool ; its red- 
tipped bracts ; its taller, more slender stems ; in the whole plant being yellower ; and the primary 
clusters of heads being over-topped by one or two leaves ; the leaves oblong, abruptly pointed. 
Rare. Sandy places. July — August. Annual. 
Spathulate Filago. (Filago spathulata, Presl.)— Also resembling the Common 
Filago (Filago germanica), and also often regarded merely as a variety. It differs in its larger, 
sharply 5-angled clusters of flower-heads, with the base of the florets only sunk in the wool ; in 
the flower-bracts with straw-coloured membranous tips ; the primary cluster of heads overtopped 
by 2-5 broader leaves ; and in the whole plant being shorter, whitish, and covered with hoary, 
silky wool. 
Not common. Dry fields. July — August. Annual. 
Lesser Filago. (Filago minima, Fr.) — Another similar plant, with smaller, more 
numerous flower clusters, of a brownish-yellow, not sunk in wool nor overtopped by leaves ; the 
stem 1-9 inches high, wiry, more irregularly branched at the top ; the leaves smaller, strap-shaped 
(linear-lanceolate), pointed, cottony. The whole plant greyish. 
Fairly common in dry, gravelly places. June — September. Annual. 
* Narrow-leaved Cudweed. (Filago galliea, Linn.)— Not a native. Similar to the 
Lesser Filago, but with the flower-heads overtopped by narrow awl-shaped leaves and the stem more 
branched. 
Not a native, found in sandy fields in Essex, Herts, and Berkshire, in Ireland, and the Channel 
Isles. July — September. Annual. 
EVERLASTING. (ANTENNARIA, GiERTN.) — Flower-heads solitary or in clusters. Florets 
small, all tubular, without pistils (male) on one plant, and without stamens (female) and the 
corolla reduced to hairs on another plant. Flower-bracts membranous, and very noticeable, 
grey, brown, yellow, white, or rose-colour. Calyx-tube surmounted with minute hairs; petals 5, 
