Bigelowia is a small genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae, order Asterales, endemic to the southeastern United States. The genus comprises just three accepted species, all of which are subshrubs — low, woody-based perennial plants that often form dense clumps in open, sunny habitats.
The most distinctive characteristic of Bigelowia is its flower heads: they are very small but produced in large numbers, and they bear only disc florets, with no ray florets (the petal-like structures typical of many composites such as sunflowers or daisies). The flower heads are yellow and are arranged in flat-topped or branching clusters. This gives the plants an appearance somewhat similar to Solidago (goldenrods), which are also in the Asteraceae and with which Bigelowia shares parts of its range.
The three species are Bigelowia nudata, Bigelowia nuttallii, and Bigelowia australis, distributed across states including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas.
Distribution
Bigelowia is native to the southeastern United States. Its species are collectively recorded from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas.
Taxonomy Notes
Bigelowia belongs to the family Asteraceae (order Asterales). GBIF recognises three accepted species in the genus. The genus is sometimes considered closely related to Solidago and other members of the tribe Astereae.
