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desert palafox, Spanish needle

Reverchon's palafox

Habit Annuals, 10–200 cm. Annuals, 10–90 cm.
Stems

scabrous to nearly glabrous, sometimes distally stipitate-glandular.

usually proximally appressed-pubescent, distally stipitate-glandular.

Leaf

blades lance-linear to linear, 20–120 × 2–55 mm.

blades narrowly lanceolate, 30–90 × 2–6 mm.

Involucres

cylindric to narrowly turbinate.

turbinate.

Ray florets

0.

3–8;

corollas 15–25 mm, laminae 6–12 mm.

Disc florets

9–40;

corollas ± actinomorphic, 9–13 mm, throats ± cylindric, longer than lobes.

12–30;

corollas ± actinomorphic, 5–8 mm, throats ± funnelform, shorter than lobes.

Phyllaries

± equal, 10–25 × 1–2.5 mm, ± scabrous, sometimes stipitate-glandular.

6–8 × 1.5–3 mm, ± equal, ± scabrous to puberulous and stipitate-glandular.

Cypselae

10–16 mm;

pappus scales of inner cypselae 8–12 mm.

5–6 mm;

pappus scales of inner cypselae 3–6 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Palafoxia arida

Palafoxia reverchonii

Phenology Flowering late winter–spring(–summer). Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Sandy soils Sandy soils
Elevation 30–1000 m (100–3300 ft) 10–100+ m (0–300+ ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants of Palafoxia arida 90–150 cm with phyllaries 16–25 mm (from dunes west of Yuma, Arizona) have been treated as var. gigantea. Plants referable to P. arida have been named P. linearis (Cavanilles) Lagasca (including var. gigantea M. E. Jones) in other floras; P. linearis is a Mexican species (see B. L. Turner and M. I. Morris 1976).

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 390. FNA vol. 21, p. 389.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Palafoxia Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Chaenactidinae > Palafoxia
Sibling taxa
P. callosa, P. feayi, P. hookeriana, P. integrifolia, P. reverchonii, P. riograndensis, P. rosea, P. sphacelata, P. texana
P. arida, P. callosa, P. feayi, P. hookeriana, P. integrifolia, P. riograndensis, P. rosea, P. sphacelata, P. texana
Synonyms P. arida var. gigantea Othake reverchonii
Name authority B. L. Turner & M. I. Morris: Madroño 23: 79. (1975) (Bush) Cory: Rhodora, 48: 86. (1946)
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