They have a spiny, cone shaped center. The purple rays on this flower turn brown in late summer and remain standing throughout the winter. Small white flowers bloom in clusters and mature from July to August into brown speckled berries. These berries then turn bright red in the fall. The fungi often appear on the bark and produce spores, which, appear on the trunk of the trees, as small colored spots.
Some fungus can attack the roots of the trees and show above ground as toadstools.
Besides its many other medical uses, this wildflower was mainly used for the destruction of lice in the hair. This wildflower was used by Native Americans as medicine. The Cherokee Indians used this plant as a cure for intestinal worms.