# Red Tasselflower (*emilia fosbergii*) The Red Tasselflower (Emilia fosbergii), also known as Flora's paintbrush, is a charming and highly adaptable annual wildflower belonging to the aster family, Asteraceae. Native to the Old World tropics, this plant has successfully naturalized across many tropical and subtropical areas globally, including the Americas and various Pacific islands. It is well-regarded for its distinctive, brush-like flower heads that paint disturbed soils, grasslands, and roadsides with brilliant shades of crimson and deep pinkish-purple. Although it is frequently categorized as an agricultural weed, the Red Tasselflower plays a beneficial role in local ecosystems by offering a steady supply of nectar to diverse pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hoverflies. Its resilient nature allows it to quickly colonize barren or nutrient-poor soils, serving as an important pioneer species in ecological succession. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Typically found in sunny, disturbed soils, roadsides, agricultural fields, waste areas, and urban vacant lots within tropical and subtropical regions. ![Red Tasselflower](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/27556530/medium.jpeg) Photo: no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子, CC0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/27556530) ## Appearance Standing between 20 and 100 centimeters tall, the Red Tasselflower features upright, slender stems that are smooth or minimally hairy and often branching near the top. Its leaves are highly variable, with the lower ones being lyre-shaped or deeply lobed, while the upper leaves are smaller, lance-shaped, and clasp the stem directly with their bases. The most striking identifier is the inflorescence, consisting of small, urn-shaped flower heads that lack outer petals (ray florets). Instead, they exhibit dense, brush-like clusters of bright red to purplish-pink tubular disc florets that project upward, giving the plant its paintbrush-like appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Emilia ## Interesting facts - The common name 'Flora's paintbrush' is inspired by the flower heads, which look like tiny artist brushes that have been dipped in vibrant red paint. - The white fluff attached to its seeds resembles dandelion fluff, and children in tropical regions often blow the seed heads to watch the seeds float away. - While mostly considered a weed today, plants in the genus Emilia have been used in traditional folk remedies in various regions for soothing sore throats. ## Special abilities - **Wind-Riding Seeds:** Each seed is equipped with a fluffy, white pappus that acts like a parachute, enabling wind currents to transport seeds far from the parent plant. - **Rapid Seed-to-Seed Cycle:** This species completes its life cycle within a few short months, allowing it to rapidly colonize newly cleared ground before other plants establish. - **Soil Adaptability:** It thrives in highly disturbed, compacted, and low-nutrient soils where many other plant species fail to grow. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-100 cm - **Lifespan:** 1 years ## Diet & Feeding As a photoautotroph, the Red Tasselflower manufactures its own food by converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars via photosynthesis. - **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Soil Minerals ## Ecological connections - **Mutualism:** [Gulf Fritillary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/gulf-fritillary) (*Agraulis vanillae*) — Feeds on the nectar of the flowers, aiding in pollination. - **Competitor:** [Bermuda Grass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bermuda-grass) (*Cynodon dactylon*) — Competes for soil nutrients and sunlight in grassy lawns and disturbed pastures. - **Parasite:** Cowpea Aphid (*Aphis craccivora*) — Sucks nutrient-rich sap from the stems, potentially weakening the plant. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red Tasselflower? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Red Tasselflower? 20-100 cm ### How long does Red Tasselflower live? 1 years ### What does Red Tasselflower eat? As a photoautotroph, the Red Tasselflower manufactures its own food by converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars via photosynthesis. ### Where is Red Tasselflower usually found? Typically found in sunny, disturbed soils, roadsides, agricultural fields, waste areas, and urban vacant lots within tropical and subtropical regions. ## Where to spot - [Allerton Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/allerton-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [National Tropical Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/national-tropical-botanical-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden - [Puna-Ka'u Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/puna-kau-historic-district) — Hawaii, US · Historic District - [Butterfly World](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/butterfly-world) — Florida, US · Zoo [View all places to see Red Tasselflower](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-tasselflower) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Red Tasselflower: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tasselflower)