Lygodesmia juncea
rush skeletonplant, rushlike skeleton-plant
erect to ascending or decumbent, green, glaucous, much branched from bases and distally, strongly striate, glabrous (often bearing round galls).
(basal not in rosettes, absent at flowering);
proximal blades linear, 5–30(–60) × 1–2(–4) mm, margins entire, apices acute, faces glabrous;
cauline reduced to subulate scales.
cylindric, 10–16 × 4–6 mm, apices spreading.
usually 5;
corollas usually light pink to lavender, rarely white, 18–20 mm, ligules 3–4 mm wide.
5(–7), linear, 10–15 mm, margins scarious, apices acute or obtuse, not appendaged, faces glabrous.
of 8, ovate to linear bractlets 2–4 mm, margins erose-ciliate (faces glabrous).
(1–50+) borne singly or in corymbiform arrays.
6–10 mm, weakly striate, glabrous;
pappi 6–9 mm.
= 18.
Lygodesmia juncea
Lygodesmia juncea is the most widespread species of the genus, occurring throughout the High Plains region of North America. It is easily distinguished by its bushy habit, greatly reduced cauline leaves, relatively small heads and involucres, and phyllaries lacking appendages. Mature cypselae are rarely found on this species, and the plants are presumably sterile and reproduce mainly by vegetative means. Many specimens have round galls to 10 mm diameter on the stems, produced by solitary wasps and apparently unique to this species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites:
CalFlora, CalPhotos, 
Flora NW, 
KS Wildflowers, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria, 
SW CO Wildflowers 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
