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Hairy Leafcup, Bear's Foot, Yellow Leafcup, Uvedalia - Smallanthus uvedalius


Family: Asteraceae - Aster family Genus Common Name: Leafcup Native Status: NativeDicot Perennial Herb
Smallanthus uvedalius - Hairy Leafcup, Bear's Foot, Yellow Leafcup, Uvedalia. Tall leafy plant with VERY large leaves and yellow flowers with typical aster family structure - ray flowers and disk flowers. Leaves are opposing. The occasional branches seem to arise from the leaf axils.

Synonym: Polymnia uvedalia, which seems to be in more common use than what is now the new classification, Smallanthus uvedalius. This is the only species in the the Smallanthus genus listed in the USDA Plants Database, although the Missouri Botanical Gardens TROPICOS database list 26 species in the genus. I suspect the other 25 species are not found in the United States.

Uvedalia has been used for medicinal purposes, including treatment of rheumatism and hair loss.

The species is listed as Endangered in New York and New Jersey, and as Threatened in Michigan, where it has legal protection.

Found in:
AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV

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Smallanthus uvedalius

Distribution of Smallanthus uvedalius in the United States and Canada:
Map unavailable.
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
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Site: Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-September-15Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Yellow Leafcup has the typical aster family structure - ray flowers encircling disk flowers. The ray flowers are .75 to 1.25 inch long, and the disk is typically .50 to .75 inches across, giving a blossom size of 2 to 3 inches or more. The seeds form from the ray flowers in Smallanthus uvedalius.
Smallanthus uvedalius
Site: Rock Creek Road, Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-September-16Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Clearly bees enjoy the nectar of Smallanthus uvedalius. Note the pink ovary at the base of the ray flower.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Smallanthus uvedalius
Site: Rock Creek Road, Walker County, Ga Date: 2009-September-16Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
The very large leaves are what initially clued me in that these might be a leafcup.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Smallanthus uvedalius
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Smallanthus uvedalius initially published on USWildflowers.com 2009-09-16; Updated 2015-06-24

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
Photographs Copyright owned by the named photographer



Code Update 20230302