Family Asteraceae > Subfamily Asteroideae > Tribe Heliantheae > Subtribe Ecliptinae.
There are 3 species native to the Americas – Calyptocarpus brasiliensis, Calyptocarpus vialis and Calyptocarpus wendlandii.
They are small annual or perennial herbs.
Erect stems are up to around 30 cm long and the trailing or mainly prostrate stems twice that.
Stems on the ground usually do not root at the nodes but some can.
Opposite leaves, on a petiole are of various shapes.
The blade edges have sharp or blunt teeth.
Axillary inflorescences are one or a few heads of small flowers or florets.
There are a few involucral bracts at the base of the heads.
The receptacle has bracts (paleae) between the florets.
Heads have an outer row of ray florets surrounding the central disc florets.
Ray florets are female, the disc are bisexual and both have yellow petals.
Fruit are a cypsela – dry indehiscent, with the calyx attached and with 1 seed.
J.F.
