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Arizona Snake-cotton

Habit Plants perennial; taproot enlarged, woody.
Stems

1–several, ascending or decumbent, often branched distally, 3–10 dm, sericeous-tomentose with white hairs.

Leaves

usually crowded at base, few on stems, sessile or short-petiolate;

blade lanceolate, proximal leaves 3–12 × 0.5–2.5 cm, base attenuate, apex acute or rarely obtuse, scaberulous or canescent adaxially, sericeous-tomentose with bright whitish hairs abaxially.

Spikes

dense, stout, flowers arranged in 3-ranked spiral;

bracteoles dark, glabrous.

Flowers

(3.5–)4–5.5 mm;

perianth lobes narrowly oblong, apex obtuse, or acutish, pubescence dense, bright white;

filament lobes stramineous or darkened, blunt.

Utricles

narrowly or broadly winged laterally, 2.5–5.5 × 3–4.5 mm, longer than broad, wing margins irregularly dentate, 1 or both surfaces of perianth with 1 or more basal tubercles or spines.

Froelichia arizonica

Phenology Flowering year-round.
Habitat Open rocky or gravelly hillsides
Elevation 700-2200 m (2300-7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 445.
Parent taxa Amaranthaceae > Froelichia
Sibling taxa
F. drummondii, F. floridana, F. gracilis, F. texana
Name authority Thornber ex Standley: in N. L. Britton et al., N. Amer. Fl. 21: 128. (1917)
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