Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Actinella rusbyi, Picradenia rusbyi
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Similar species
Hymenoxys richardsonii
Height
12 to 60 inches
Riparian
No
Woody base; numerous branches high on the flowering stems; plants may be smooth or hairy, lower stems purplish-red; many yellow flower heads in somewhat rounded clusters; basal and stem leaves, leafy to the tops of stems.
Moderately branched from woody base; stems usually purple-red-tinted at base and branched at upper part of the stem; flower heads numerous and small, 25 to 50 or more disc and 6 to 8 ray flowers; stems barely surpass the leaves; leaves simple or 3-lobed.
Habitat
Roadsides, open areas, edges of forests.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Disturbed Areas
Low elevation
5500
High elevation
7000
Flower Characteristics
Multiple flower heads (up to 250) in flat-topped arrays; bracts surrounding floral heads typically bell-shaped; 6 to 8 ray flowers and 25 to 50 or more disc flowers per flower head.
Flower color
Yellow
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
July
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems with or without hairs; leaves basal and on stems; leaf blades simple or lobed (lobes 3), without hairs, gland-dotted, narrow.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Small one-seeded dry fruits do not split open at maturity; broader at top than base (upside down pyramid), narrow, topped by typically 5 rounded scales.
Fruit type
Achene