TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
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Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1many per head
Flowers bisexual, unisexual, or sterile, ± small, of several types; calyx 0 or modified into pappus of bristles, scales, or awns, which is generally persistent in fruit; corolla radial or bilateral (rarely 0), lobes generally (0)45; stamens 45, anthers generally fused into cylinder around style, often appendaged at tips, bases, or both, filaments generally free, generally attached to corolla near throat; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 1-chambered, 1-seeded, style 1, branches 2, generally hair-tufted at tip, stigmas 2, generally on inside of style branches
Fruit: achene, cylindric to ovoid, generally deciduous with pappus attached
Genera in family: ± 1300 genera, 21,000 species (largest family of dicots): worldwide. Largest family in CA. Also see tribal key to CA genera: Strother 1997 Madroño 44(1):128. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.
Annual to perennial herb (subshrub)
Stems generally erect
Leaves alternate, generally entire
Inflorescence: heads generally radiate, 1many in loose, panicle-like or flat-topped clusters; involucre hemispheric; phyllaries narrowly lanceolate, in 2several equal to strongly graded series; receptacle flat to steeply conic, naked, smooth to shallowly pitted
Ray flowers (0) generally 10many; ligules generally white, pink, or blue (yellow)
Disk flowers many; corollas generally narrowly funnel-shaped, yellow; style tips 0.10.8 mm, ± triangular
Fruit 0.53 mm, generally ± oblong, compressed to ± cylindric, generally 2-ribbed, generally sparsely hairy; pappus (0) generally of 650 longer, inner bristles and shorter outer bristles, narrow scales, or short crown
Species in genus: ± 375 species: wordwide
Etymology: (Greek: early old age)
Reference: [Nesom 1992 Phytologia 72:157208]
Native |
Perennial 616 cm, from woody taproot and thick, short-branched caudex, cespitose, 14-branched below mid-stem; hairs spreading or reflexed, soft-bristly and minutely stalked-glandular
Leaves: basal erect, crowded, 26 cm, ± linear to oblanceolate; cauline 0 or gradually reduced upward
Inflorescence flat-topped; heads 1many, 711 mm diam; phyllaries ± equal
Ray flowers 4060; corollas 79 mm, ligules blue to white or pink, reflexed or weakly coiled
Disk flowers: corollas ± widely funnel-shaped
Fruit: pappus bristles 715, outer series of prominent, wide scales 0.20.5 mm
Ecology: Sandy to rocky slopes, crevices
Elevation: 12001800 m.
Bioregional distribution: Desert Mountains
Distribution outside California: to Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico