Adenocaulon bicolor – pathfinder
Common Name
pathfinder
Family
Asteraceae
Scientific Name
Adenocaulon bicolor
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
- Moderately Dry (MD)
- Medium (M)
Soil Nutrient Regime (SNR)
- Rich (R)
Douglas, G.W. et al (Editors). 1998-2002. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volumes 1 to 8. B.C. Min. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Copyright Province of British Columbia. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission of the Province of British Columbia.
Photo Gallery
General / Habitat
- Herb
- Grows in moist and shaded forest
- Low to middle elevations
Key Identifying Characteristics
- Form: White-wooly on lower part of stem, glandular on upper part of stem
- Leaves: Leaves largely basal, triangular to heart-shaped with smooth or coarsely toothed margins, green and hairless above and white-wooly below, stem leaves few and tiny
- Flowers: small, whitish, tubular disk flowers borne in a branched, glandular inflorescence, bracts pointing down when mature
- Fruit: club-shaped with stalked glands, presumably to aid in epizoochorous dispersal (dispersal via sticking to passing animals)
Lookalikes
- If specimen is non-reproductive, could be confused with burdock (an invasive), but burdock has notably leafy and hairless stems as well as a weedier growth habit
Interesting Characteristics
- Lacking in both ray flowers and a seed pappus for wind dispersal, which is unusual for Asteraceae
- Named “pathfinder” because walking through pathfinder allows you to always find your way back, since the white undersides of the leaves will be visible in the crushed plants.
Note: I heard that it’s called pathfinder because you often find it growing near the path as a result of sticking to hiker’s socks.
External References
Sources
Douglas, G.W. et al (Editors). 1998-2002. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volumes 1 to 8. B.C. Min. Environ., Lands and Parks, and B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.
Pojar, J. and A. MacKinnon. 2014. Plants of Coastal British Columbia Including Washington, Oregon & Alaska. B.C. Ministry of Forestry and Lone Pine Publishing. Vancouver, B.C.