Hairy stemmed, usually much-branched annual, sometimes perennial. Plants become woody at the base late in the season. Stems topped with a single flower head of ray and disc flowers.
Leafy stemmed annual, stems hairy. Lower leaves on short stalks, oval, smooth edged, upper leaves not stalked, toothed edges. Solitary flower heads; ray flowers bicolored, red to purplish, yellow tipped. Disc flower teeth tapered, tipped with a long awn.
Habitat
Found in open sites and in disturbed areas in pinyon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa forests.
Flower Characteristics
Flower heads have 2 to 3 inch wedge-shaped, orange, red or purple ray flowers; the broad tips of ray flowers are 3-lobed and are usually yellow or orange. Dome-shaped center of reddish-purple disc flowers.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Narrow, oblong or spoon-shaped leaves, 1/2 inch to 3-1/2 inches long. Fuzzy above with usually smooth edges (lower leaves can be lobed). Upper leaves are smaller and clasping.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Achenes are pyramidal with long hairs inserted at bases and angles. Achenes are topped with 7 to 8 tiny scales.
Seeds are tiny, at the bases of scales on each achene.