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California brickellbush, California brickellia, California tassel-flower

Mt. Davis brickellbush

Habit Shrubs, 50–200 cm. Perennials, 12–30 cm (caudices woody).
Stems

branched from near bases, glandular-pubescent.

branched, 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.

opposite;

petioles 0–1 mm;

blades 3-nerved from bases, deltate-ovate to lanceolate, 7–30 × 4–28 mm, bases mostly obtuse to subtruncate, sometimes acuminate, margins serrate, apices acute, faces puberulent, gland-dotted.

Peduncles

1–5 mm, glandular-pubescent.

10–30 mm, puberulent.

Involucres

cylindric to obconic, 7–12 mm.

cylindric to campanulate, 8–12 mm.

Florets

8–12;

corollas pale yellow-green, 5.5–8 mm.

8–14;

corollas pale green or yellow, 5.5–6.5 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).

12–15 in 3–5 series, greenish, often purple-tinged, 5–7-striate, unequal, margins scarious (apices acute);

outer ovate to lance-ovate (puberulent, margins ciliate), inner narrowly lanceolate (glabrous).

Heads

borne in (leafy) paniculiform arrays.

borne singly or in corymbiform-paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

2.5–3.5 mm, puberulent;

pappi of 24–30 white, barbellate bristles.

4.5–5 mm, densely pubescent;

pappi of 24–30 white, usually barbellate, sometimes subplumose, bristles.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Brickellia californica

Brickellia parvula

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Aug–Oct.
Habitat Dry, rocky hillsides, arroyos, canyons Limestone or granitic cliffs
Elevation 800–2700 m (2600–8900 ft) 1500–2500 m (4900–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NM; NV; OK; TX; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 495. FNA vol. 21, p. 505.
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. baccharidea, 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. 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): 84. (1852)
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