About
Buphthalmum speciosum is a perennial herb in the aster family that bears solitary yellow flower heads on the stem. Leaves are arranged alternately and the heads are subtended by very narrow phyllaries. Flowerheads contain yellow ray and disc florets and produce cypsela fruits, often tipped with a scaly pappus. In the UK it flowers from June to August.
About the genus
Buphthalmum is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae. They are native to Europe, and B.
In the garden
Buphthalmum speciosum belongs to the genus Buphthalmum within the Asteraceae and is native to Europe; members of the genus include species that have been taken into cultivation. It produces solitary, daisy-like heads composed of yellow ray and disc florets, borne above alternately arranged leaves, and its flowering period in the UK runs from June to August. The individual flower heads develop cypsela fruits, frequently carrying a scaly pappus that assists wind dispersal; seedheads from ray florets can lack a pappus. That seed morphology means plants in cultivation may shed seed around the parent and produce seedlings nearby. Where Buphthalmum is grown, observation of the narrow phyllaries and the scaly-tipped cypselae helps confirm identification after flowering. As a herbaceous perennial type, Buphthalmum speciosum is treated like other perennial Asteraceae in cultivation and has been recorded within the genus as being garden-grown. Expect summer display and then distinctive late-summer seedheads; the scaly pappus-tipped cypselae are a useful diagnostic feature when assessing plants at the end of the season.