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 315 cm, from taproot and slender-branched caudex, unbranched, sparsely and minutely white-appressed-hairy
Leaves ± basal, 1550 mm, linear to narrowly oblanceolate; base wider, hard, white-shiny, enclosing lower stem
Inflorescence: head 1, 611 mm diam; phyllaries ± equal
Ray flowers 1525; corollas 69 mm, ligules blue or pink, weakly coiled
Fruit: pappus bristles 2030
Chromosomes: 2n=27
Ecology: UNCOMMON. Sagebrush scrub, juniper woodland
Elevation: 10002200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Modoc Plateau
Distribution outside California: e Oregon
Asexual triploid.