Gamochaeta stagnalis, the desert cudweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

It is native to Mexico, Guatemala, and the southwestern United States (California, Arizona, New Mexico).

[3][4][5] Gamochaeta stagnalis is an annual herb up to 35 cm (14 in) tall, producing a slender taproot.

The plant forms many small flower heads in tightly packed clumps.

[3][6] Gamochaeta stagnalis is very similar to G. purpureum and some G. stagnalis specimens (especially from Arizona) have been misidentified as that species.