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desert palafox, Spanish needle

othake, ray palafoxia

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

scabrous to nearly glabrous, sometimes distally stipitate-glandular.

usually proximally hispid, distally stipitate-glandular.

Leaf

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

blades broadly to narrowly lanceolate, 30–90 × 3–20 mm.

Involucres

cylindric to narrowly turbinate.

broadly to narrowly turbinate.

Ray florets

0.

3–5;

corollas 15–25 mm, laminae 5–12 mm.

Disc florets

9–40;

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

15–35;

corollas ± actinomorphic, 10–14 mm, throats ± funnelform, shorter than lobes.

Phyllaries

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

9–12+ × 1.5–3 mm, ± equal, ± scabrous to hispid and/or stipitate-glandular.

Cypselae

10–16 mm;

pappus scales of inner cypselae 8–12 mm.

6–9 mm;

pappus scales of inner cypselae 7–9 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Palafoxia arida

Palafoxia sphacelata

Phenology Flowering late winter–spring(–summer). Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Sandy soils Sandy soils
Elevation 30–1000 m (100–3300 ft) 1000–1800 m (3300–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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. reverchonii, P. riograndensis, P. rosea, P. texana
Synonyms P. arida var. gigantea Stevia sphacelata
Name authority B. L. Turner & M. I. Morris: Madroño 23: 79. (1975) (Nuttall ex Torrey) Cory: Rhodora 48: 86. (1946)
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