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California brickellbush, California brickellia, California tassel-flower

baccharis-leaf brickellia, baccharisleaf brickellbush, resinleaf brickellbush

Habit Shrubs, 50–200 cm. Shrubs, 100–150 cm.
Stems

branched from near bases, glandular-pubescent.

(ascending) branched, pubescent, sometimes glandular-pubescent.

Leaves

alternate;

petioles 5–60+ mm;

blades 3-nerved from bases, ovate to deltate, 10–100 × 10–90 mm, bases cordate to truncate, margins crenate to serrate, apices acute to rounded, faces puberulent to glabrate, often gland-dotted.

alternate;

petioles 4–10 mm;

blades 3-nerved from bases, rhombic-ovate, 10–40 × 10–20 mm, bases cuneate, margins laciniate-dentate, apices acute to obtuse, faces glabrate or gland-dotted.

Peduncles

1–5 mm, glandular-pubescent.

5–40 mm, pubescent.

Involucres

cylindric to obconic, 7–12 mm.

narrowly campanulate, 7–11 mm.

Florets

8–12;

corollas pale yellow-green, 5.5–8 mm.

16–17;

corollas cream, 6–7 mm.

Phyllaries

21–35 in 5–6 series, greenish, often purple-tinged, 3–4-striate, unequal, margins scarious;

outer ovate to lance-ovate (glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent, apices acute to acuminate), inner lanceolate (glabrous, apices obtuse to acuminate).

35–40 in 5–7 series, 3–5-striate, unequal, (glabrous, ± chartaceous) margins narrowly scarious (apices acute to acuminate);

outer ovate, inner lanceolate.

Heads

borne in (leafy) paniculiform arrays.

in dense, paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

2.5–3.5 mm, puberulent;

pappi of 24–30 white, barbellate bristles.

2–3 mm, pubescent;

pappi of 18–24 white, barbellate bristles.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Brickellia californica

Brickellia baccharidea

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Oct–Apr.
Habitat Dry, rocky hillsides, arroyos, canyons Sandy to granitic soils, limestone slopes, granitic cliffs
Elevation 800–2700 m (2600–8900 ft) 500–1600 m (1600–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NM; NV; OK; TX; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Floret number of 18 is reported for Brickellia californica in most floras; A. Cronquist (1994) noted that 18 is high by his count; he reported 12 as the maximum number for the specimens he sampled and that fits the specimens I have counted from Arizona.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 495. FNA vol. 21, p. 494.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Brickellia Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Brickellia
Sibling taxa
B. amplexicaulis, B. atractyloides, B. baccharidea, B. betonicifolia, B. brachyphylla, B. chenopodina, B. cordifolia, B. coulteri, B. cylindracea, B. dentata, B. desertorum, B. eupatorioides, B. floribunda, B. frutescens, B. grandiflora, B. greenei, B. hinckleyi, B. incana, B. knappiana, B. laciniata, B. lemmonii, B. longifolia, B. microphylla, B. nevinii, B. oblongifolia, B. parvula, B. pringlei, B. rusbyi, B. simplex, B. venosa, B. veronicifolia
B. amplexicaulis, B. atractyloides, B. betonicifolia, B. brachyphylla, B. californica, B. chenopodina, B. cordifolia, B. coulteri, B. cylindracea, B. dentata, B. desertorum, B. eupatorioides, B. floribunda, B. frutescens, B. grandiflora, B. greenei, B. hinckleyi, B. incana, B. knappiana, B. laciniata, B. lemmonii, B. longifolia, B. microphylla, B. nevinii, B. oblongifolia, B. parvula, B. pringlei, B. rusbyi, B. simplex, B. venosa, B. veronicifolia
Synonyms Bulbostylis californica
Name authority (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 64. (1849) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 87. (1852)
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