| 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. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual to tree
Leaves basal or cauline, alternate to whorled, simple to compound
Inflorescence: 1° inflorescence a head, each resembling a flower, 1–many, generally arrayed in cymes, generally subtended by ± calyx-like involucre; flowers 1–many 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)4–5; stamens 4–5, 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):1–28. See glossary p. 25 for illustrations of general family characteristics.
Annual, perennial herb, shrubs
Stems slender to stout and fleshy
Leaves simple to several times pinnately dissected, basal or cauline, opposite or less commonly alternate, sessile or petioled
Inflorescence: heads radiate, solitary or in few–many-headed cymes; peduncles short to long; involucre hemispheric or bell-shaped; phyllaries in 2 series, outer ± spreading, thick, green, inner thin, membranous; receptacle flat to rounded, chaffy; scales flat, scarious
Ray flowers fertile or sterile; ligules generally yellow, showy
Disk flowers many; corollas 4–5-lobed, yellow; style tips truncate to long-tapered
Fruit: ray and disk achenes alike or different, generally compressed front-to-back, often winged; pappus 0 or of 2 awns or scales
Species in genus: ± 114 species: Am, Africa
Etymology: (Greek: bedbug-like, from fruit)
Reference: [Smith 1984 Sida 10:276–289]
| Introduced |
Annual, 2–5 dm, ± glabrous
Stem generally 1, erect, much-branched above
Leaves opposite; petiole 1–5 cm; blade 5–7 cm, 2–3-pinnately lobed, lobes of lower leaves linear to oblanceolate, lobes of upper leaves thread-like
Inflorescence: heads many in open, leafy-bracted cymes; peduncles 5–15 cm; involucre bell-shaped; outer phyllaries 7–8, 5–8 mm, linear; inner phyllaries 6–9 mm, ovate, obtuse or acute; chaff scales 4–5 mm, linear, red-orange, free from disk achenes
Ray flowers generally 8; ligules 12–20 mm, generally 3–4-lobed, yellow, base red-brown
Disk flowers many; corollas ± 3 mm, 5-lobed, reddish
Fruit 1.5–2 mm, obovate, scarcely flat, black, rough, wing twisted to 1 side of achene; pappus 0
Chromosomes: 2n=26
Ecology: Disturbed places
Elevation: < 350 m.
Bioregional distribution: s South Coast (San Diego Co.)
Distribution outside California: native to Texas, Oklahoma
Synonyms: C. basalis (C.F.E. Otto & D. Dietr.) S.F. Blake var. w. (A. Gray) S.F. Blake