Carphephorus odoratissimus

Carphephorus odoratissimus, common name vanillaleaf, is a species of North American plants in the family Asteraceae. This species is native to the southeastern United States, including the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida.
Carphephorus odoratissimus is a herbaceous perennial up to 180 cm in height, and is largely glabrous. It produces a flat-topped inflorescence with many small purplish flower heads containing disc florets but no ray florets.
;VarietiesCarphephorus odoratissimus var. odoratissimus - Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and FloridaCarphephorus odoratissimus var. subtropicanus Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen - Central and South Florida

Ecology

Habitat

C. odoratissimus primarily grows on sandy and well-drained loamy soils. It can be found in oak-pine woodlands on Ultisols, located on sand ridges within flatwoods, in moist areas, within burned upland longleaf pine-wiregrass communities, and in pine-saw palmetto woodlands.

Uses

Carphephorus odoratissimus var. odoratissimus was given the common name vanillaleaf in reference to the vanilla-like odor that emanates from its foliage, which is due to the high content of coumarin as its major aromatic constituent. As a result, this variety has a history of use in cosmetics, herbal medicine, and as an additive to smoking tobacco. The leaves can be used to make a tonic for treating malaria.