Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1 to 2 feet
Riparian
No
Shrub or subshrub, 1 to 2 feet high and wide.
A much branched shrubby plant; glands and hairs are found on stems and upper surface of leaves. Phyllaries (flower bracts) number 30 to 48 and are in 5 to 8 series. Leaves are ovate, alternate, having stems of 0 to 3 mm and are 3-nerved from their base.
Habitat
Dry rocky places, canyon walls, sand dunes, dry washes.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
3500
High elevation
7500
Flower Characteristics
Flowers are cylindric, yellowish-green to cream and may be tinged with red or purple. Flowers are borne in loose, panicle-like clusters, often grouped at branch ends.
Flower color
Yellowish-green to white
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
July
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems and leaves are bristly and hairy.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Achenes are 10-ribbed, cylindric, and hairy or bristly.
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit color
Light brown
Tiny seeds are less than 1/10 inch in diameter.