The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

late snakeweed

small-head snakeweed, sticky snakeweed, threadleaf snakeweed

Habit Subshrubs, 15–30 cm. Subshrubs, 20–140 cm.
Stems

glabrous.

glabrous or minutely hispidulous.

Leaves

basal absent at flowering;

cauline blades 1-nerved, linear to filiform, 0.5–1 mm wide, reduced distally.

basal and proximal absent at flowering;

cauline blades 1-nerved, linear or filiform to narrowly oblanceolate or lanceolate, 0.5–2.2(–4) mm wide, little reduced distally.

Involucres

narrowly campanulate (lengths ± equaling diams.), 3–4 mm diam.

cylindric, 1–1.5 mm diam.

Ray florets

4–9;

corollas yellow, 2.3–4(–5.4) mm.

1(–2; each enclosed by conduplicate inner phyllary);

corollas yellow, (1.5–)2–3.5 mm.

Disc florets

(8–)10–12(–17).

1, sometimes 2 (functionally staminate; corollas broadly obdeltate-funnelform, throats widely flaring, lobes 1/3 corolla lengths, recurved-coiling).

Heads

borne singly or (sessile in glomerate clusters of 3–5) in loose arrays.

(2–6, sessile to subsessile, in compact glomerules) in flat-topped arrays.

Cypselae

1–1.2 mm, faces densely strigoso-sericeous (hairs ± twisted, apically attenuate);

pappi of 1–2 series of oblanceolate scales 0.5–1 mm.

1–1.8(–2.5) mm, faces densely strigoso-sericeous;

pappi (rays, readily falling) of 1 series of narrowly lanceolate-oblong scales.

Phyllary

apices flat.

apices flat.

2n

= 8.

= 8, 16, 24, 32.

Gutierrezia serotina

Gutierrezia microcephala

Phenology Flowering Apr–May and/or Aug–Oct. Flowering (Jun–)Jul–Dec(–Feb).
Habitat Grasslands, Larrea flats Grasslands, chaparral, oak or oak-pine woodlands, usually over gravelly or rocky limestone or gypsum substrates, dunes
Elevation 400–1200 m (1300–3900 ft) 800–2500 m (2600–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Zacatecas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Gutierrezia microcephala is recognized by its perennial habit and its small, tightly clustered heads, each with 4–8 phyllaries and 1(–2) ray and disc florets. Each ray floret is enclosed by a conduplicate inner phyllary. Forms of G. sarothrae with few florets in each head can be distinguished by their bisexual and fertile disc florets and tubular-funnelform disc corollas.

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

Source FNA vol. 20, p. 94. FNA vol. 20, p. 92.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Gutierrezia Asteraceae > tribe Astereae > Gutierrezia
Sibling taxa
G. arizonica, G. californica, G. microcephala, G. petradoria, G. pomariensis, G. sarothrae, G. sphaerocephala, G. texana, G. wrightii
G. arizonica, G. californica, G. petradoria, G. pomariensis, G. sarothrae, G. serotina, G. sphaerocephala, G. texana, G. wrightii
Synonyms G. polyantha Brachyris microcephala, G. sarothrae var. microcephala, Xanthocephalum microcephalum
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 4: 57. (1899) (de Candolle) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 74. (1849)
Web links