SafePlants

Little Ironweed (Cyanthillium cinereum)

Considerations for Pets

• The plant is an herb and can grow up to 1 meter, resembling a shrub, which may be of interest to pets.
• The plant has small flower heads (less than 3mm wide).
• Several sources mention the plant's traditional medicinal uses.

Considerations for Children

• The plant is an herb and can grow up to 1 meter, resembling a shrub.
• The plant has small flower heads (less than 3mm wide).
• Several sources mention the plant's traditional medicinal uses.

Quirky Facts

• The flowers of Cyanthillium cinereum are described as a "magnet for a bewildering variety of arthropods (insects and spiders)."
• One source humorously describes the buds of a related plant (Baldwin's Ironweed) as resembling "little pineapples!"
• The underside of the leaves can be purple.

Common Names

• Accepted Scientific Name: Cyanthillium cinereum
• Preferred Common Name: Little Ironweed
• Other Common Names: Ash-coled fleabane, Purple Fleabane, Asian Ironweed, edngeong (Palau), etngeong (Palau), Ash-coled ironweed, Purple-flowered fleabane.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Domain: Eukaryota
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Phylum: Spermatophyta
• Subphylum: (Not specified completely in the text)
• Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
• Synonyms: Vernonia cinerea, Conyza cinerea, Senecioides cinerea, Vernonia cinerea var.

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to tropical Africa and tropical Asia.
• Found in Southeast Asia (Malesia).
• Observed in locations such as Kolkata, West Bengal, India, Koh Samui, Thailand, and Lanai, Hawaii.
• Often found in disturbed areas.

Morphology and Growth Habit

• Annual or short-lived perennial herb, typically growing up to 50cm, but can reach 80-150cm.
• Ovate leaves.
• Stems are unbranched or few-branched, often branching repeatedly at the top.
• Flower heads are small, less than 3mm wide.
• Leaves can be petiolate or sessile, with petioles up to 1.5 cm long.

Ecological Interactions

• The plant's flowers attract a variety of arthropods, including insects and spiders.
• Classified as an exotic species in the U.S.

Additional Information

• USDA PLANTS Symbol: CYCI4
• Plants of Hawaii (Forest and Kim Starr)