Baccharis pilularis

B. pilularis is an evergreen shrub, often 1-3 m in height (Steinberg, 2002);leaves are sessile or short petiolate with blades oblanceolate to obovate with three principal veins and in alternate leaf arrangement (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2015). There is a well-developed taproot of up to 3 m and lateral roots are also well developed (Steinberg, 2002). Inflorescences in paniculiform arrays (Flora of North America Editorial Committee, 2015) and made up of small whitish (female) to yellowish (male) flowers. Female flowers are discoid without ray florets (Steinberg, 2002). They are 0.4-0.63 cm long, and clustered at branch tips or in leaf axils. Male flowers are slightly smaller. Achenes are 0.1-0.2 cm long with a 0.6-1 cm long pappus (Munz, 1973;Hickman, 1993). Plants are dioecious with male plants flowering before the females. Achenes are small with long pappus. Seeds are very light (Steinberg, 2002).