Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
<i>Riddellia cooperi</i>
Other common names
Paper daisy
Cooper's paper daisy
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6 to 24 inches
Riparian
No
This nearly round plant makes a brilliant yellow globe.
Plants shrubby; stems and leaves densely white-woolly, distinguishes this species from other Psilostrophe species.
Habitat
Dry slopes and washes of the deserts and plains. Native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts.
Plant Community
Desert Scrub
Grasslands
Interior Chaparral
Montane Conifer Forest
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Low elevation
300
High elevation
8300
Flower Characteristics
This is a ray flower with 3 to 6 non-overlapping petals borne singly on a stalk. Each petal has 3 shallow lobes at the end.
Flower color
Yellow
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
The stems are openly branched, erect, and woolly-white. The leaves are 1 to 2-1/2 inches long and very narrow.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Grayish-green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Cylindric, ribbed, smooth or sparsely glandular.
Fruit type
Achene