Otanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the chamomile tribe (Anthemideae) within the daisy family (Asteraceae or Compositae). The only known species is the cotton weed plant, Otanthus maritimus. It is a small pioneering perennial that grows in the dune areas throughout the Mediterranean and exerts a stabilizing action on the sandy soils. A thick white down covers both the stems and the small oval, slightly saw-toothed alternate leaves. The globose flower head