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stinking brickellbush

California brickellbush, California brickellia, California tassel-flower

Habit Perennials, 60–120 cm (bases woody). Shrubs, 50–200 cm.
Stems

branched, puberulent, gland-dotted.

branched from near bases, glandular-pubescent.

Leaves

alternate;

petioles 10–50 mm;

blades 3-nerved from bases, deltate or rhombic-ovate, 50–100 × 20–50 mm, bases acute to truncate, margins crenate or coarsely dentate, apices long-acuminate, abaxial faces sparsely villous, gland-dotted, adaxial faces glabrous or sparsely pubescent, often gland-dotted.

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.

Peduncles

4–6 mm, puberulent, sparsely gland-dotted.

1–5 mm, glandular-pubescent.

Involucres

cylindric to campanulate, 7–10 mm.

cylindric to obconic, 7–12 mm.

Florets

13–20;

corollas yellowish, 5.3–6.5 mm.

8–12;

corollas pale yellow-green, 5.5–8 mm.

Phyllaries

22–26 in 4–7 series, 3–5-striate, unequal, margins scarious (apices obtuse to acute);

outer ovate to lanceolate (often purple-tinged, glabrous or puberulent), inner linear to oblong (greenish, glabrous).

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).

Heads

in paniculiform arrays.

borne in (leafy) paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

2–2.5 mm, sericeous;

pappi of 26–32 white, barbellate bristles.

2.5–3.5 mm, puberulent;

pappi of 24–30 white, barbellate bristles.

2n

= 18.

= 18.

Brickellia rusbyi

Brickellia californica

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

Brickellia rusbyi has been considered ill-smelling.

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

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. 506. FNA vol. 21, p. 495.
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. 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. simplex, B. venosa, B. veronicifolia
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
Synonyms Bulbostylis californica
Name authority A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. 1(2): 106. (1884) (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 64. (1849)
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