Easily confused with : Easily confused with : Shaggy Soldier (Galinsoga quadriradiata), but that is much more straggly and hairier. There is only one feature by which it is reliably differentiated from Shaggy Soldier and that is by the shape of the pappus scales (the 'feathers' on the seeds). See image captions.

Distinguishing Feature for Soldiers : The five (or sometimes only four) short white ray florets with large gaps between. Gallant Soldier has slightly shorter petals than Shaggy Soldier.

No relation to : Water-Soldier (Stratiotes aloides) [a plant with similar name]

Gallant Soldier is yet another alien plant accidentally foisted upon Britain by Kew Gardens, Surrey in 1860, the year it escaped from there. However, if they had not brought it in the first place, it would not have escaped for us to now enjoy. The list grows ever longer. But should botanists be worried by this? Perhaps it was here once before, before the last ice age, and maybe the one before that, etc.

Gallant Soldier is now to be found in the car park of The Hand and Dagger pub, on the Lancaster Canal, which is now a long way from where it originally escaped. It likes bare waste ground and possesses five, sometimes only four (hence the spurious scientific name), white ray petal-like florets.

Claim to Fame: Along with Shaggy Soldier and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) this plant has the fewest outer petals of any member of the Daisy and Dandelion Family, totalling a meagre five, apart from those plants which have no outer florets such as Groundsels. Most other members of this family have many more than a dozen outer petals.

It is an unusual compositaeae (Daisy & Dandelion Family) plant in that it has only five (white) rays, but many (yellow) inner florets.

Gallant Soldier contains two glycosides: Galinsosides A and B, a flavonone glucoside plus two hydroxyflavanones.

Gallant Soldier contains two hydroxyflavonones, Butin (7,3',4'-trihydroxyflavonone) and 3,5,7,3',4'-pentahydroxyflavonone (not shown). Compare Quercetin. Butin has a cyto-protective effect in cells against oxidative damage from hydrogen peroxide. Flavonols are yellow or deep yellow in colour and contribute to the colour of many yellow flowers.