(Leontopodium alpinum), perennial plant of the family Asteraceae, native to alpine areas of Europe and South America. It has 2 to 10 yellow flower heads in a dense cluster, and, below these flower heads, 6 to 9 lance-shaped, woolly, white leaves are arranged in the form of a star. An edelweiss plant is about 5 to 30 cm (2 to 12 inches) tall. There are a number of varieties, most of them ornamentals. New Zealand edelweiss is a member of the genus Leucogenes, also in the daisy family.