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Coulter's brickellbush

splitleaf brickellbush

Habit Shrubs, 30–150 cm. Shrubs, 60–120 cm.
Stems

much branched from bases, pubescent, often gland-dotted.

much branched, pubescent, gland-dotted.

Leaves

opposite;

petioles 4–12 mm;

blades 3-nerved from bases, broadly ovate to deltate, 10–60 × 10–30 mm, bases truncate, hastate, or subcordate, margins usually toothed (1–3 sets of sharp teeth near bases), rarely subentire, apices attenuate, faces minutely pubescent.

alternate;

petioles 2–5 mm;

blades 3-nerved from bases, oblong to broadly ovate, 6–15 × 5–9 mm, bases narrowly cuneate, margins irregularly dentate, apices acute to obtuse, faces sparsely pubescent, gland-dotted.

Peduncles

5–40 mm, pubescent and sometimes gland-dotted.

0.5–2.5 mm, glandular-viscid.

Involucres

cylindric to campanulate, 8–12 mm.

cylindric, 6–8 mm.

Florets

13–25;

corollas pale yellow-green, often purple-tinged, 7–8.2 mm.

8–14;

corollas pale yellow-green, often purple-tinged, 4.8–5.7 mm.

Phyllaries

17–22 in 4–6 series, greenish, often purple-tinged, 4–5-striate, unequal, margins scarious (apices acute to acuminate or mucronate, minutely pubescent);

outer lance-ovate to narrowly lanceolate (glabrous or sparsely pubescent), inner narrowly lanceolate to linear (glabrous).

15–25 in 4–6 series, stramineous, 3–5-striate, unequal, (gland-dotted) margins scarious (apices obtuse to acute);

outer ovate, inner lanceolate.

Heads

in loose, paniculiform arrays.

in (leafy) paniculiform or racemiform arrays.

Cypselae

3–5 mm, hispidulous, strigose, or glandular-pubescent;

pappi of 28–40 smooth or barbellulate bristles.

2.5–3 mm, sparsely pubescent or strigose;

pappi of 24–28 tawny, barbellate bristles.

2n

= 18.

Brickellia coulteri

Brickellia laciniata

Phenology Flowering Aug–Nov.
Habitat Dry slopes, streambeds (arroyos)
Elevation 1300–1900 m (4300–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (2 in the flora}.

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

Key
1. Midstem leaf blades mostly 40–60 mm; peduncles mostly 15–40 mm, mostly glandular-pubescent
var. coulteri
1. Midstem leaf blades mostly 20–40(–50) mm; peduncles 5–25 mm, pubescent, mostly lacking glandular hairs
var. brachiata
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 496. FNA vol. 21, p. 502.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Brickellia Asteraceae > tribe Eupatorieae > Brickellia
Sibling taxa
B. amplexicaulis, B. atractyloides, B. baccharidea, B. betonicifolia, B. brachyphylla, B. californica, B. chenopodina, B. cordifolia, 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. lemmonii, B. longifolia, B. microphylla, B. nevinii, B. oblongifolia, B. parvula, B. pringlei, B. rusbyi, B. simplex, B. venosa, B. veronicifolia
Subordinate taxa
B. coulteri var. brachiata, B. coulteri var. coulteri
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 86. (1852) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 87. (1852)
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