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gray feverfew, Gray's feverfew

ragweed parthenium, Santa Maria, Santa Maria feverfew, whitetop weed

Habit Biennials (sometimes flowering first year or persisting), 10–30(–60+) cm. Annuals, (10–)30–120+ cm.
Leaf

blades ovate or rounded-deltate to elliptic, 30–80(–120+) × 10–20(–40+) mm, usually ± pinnately or sub-bipinnately lobed, ultimate margins entire, faces strigillose, usually also with erect hairs 1–2 mm and gland-dotted.

blades ovate to elliptic, 30–180+ × 10–50(–90+) mm, (1–)2-pinnately lobed (ultimate lobes lanceolate to linear, 3–50 × 2–15 mm), faces sparsely to densely scabrellous and gland-dotted (seldom with additional erect hairs 1–2 mm).

Peduncles

2–8(–12+) mm.

1–8(–15+) mm.

Pistillate florets

5;

corolla laminae 0 or ± coroniform, 0.1–0.5 mm.

5(–6);

corolla laminae reniform or orbiculate to oblong, 0.3–1 mm.

Disc florets

20–30+.

12–30[–60].

Phyllaries

outer 5 lance-ovate to elliptic, 2.5–3+ mm, inner 5 ± orbiculate, 3–3.5 mm.

outer 5(–6), lance-elliptic, 2–4 mm, inner 5(–6) ovate to ± orbiculate, 2.5–4 mm.

Heads

disciform or obscurely radiate, borne in open, ± paniculiform arrays.

obscurely radiate, borne in open, paniculiform arrays.

Cypselae

± obovoid, 2–3 mm; pappus-like enations 2, ± erect, deltate to ovate, 0.5–1 mm (sometimes a third, subulate spur near apex adaxially).

obovoid, 1.5–2(–3.5) mm; pappus-like enations erect, deltate to ovate, 0.5–1 mm (sometimes a third, subulate spur near apex adaxially).

2n

= 36, 68, 72.

= 34.

Parthenium confertum

Parthenium hysterophorus

Phenology Flowering Mar–Oct. Flowering Mar–Nov.
Habitat Sandy plains, openings in mesquite grasslands Disturbed sites
Elevation 20–2000 m (100–6600 ft) 0–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; IL; KS; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; TX; VA; Mexico [Introduced in subtropical, tropical, and warm-temperate New World and Old World]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In some places, especially in Old World, Parthenium hysterophorus causes serious contact dermatitis in humans. The plants should be handled with caution.

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 22. FNA vol. 21, p. 22.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ambrosiinae > Parthenium Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Ambrosiinae > Parthenium
Sibling taxa
P. alpinum, P. argentatum, P. hysterophorus, P. incanum, P. integrifolium, P. ligulatum
P. alpinum, P. argentatum, P. confertum, P. incanum, P. integrifolium, P. ligulatum
Synonyms P. confertum var. divaricatum, P. confertum var. lyratum, P. confertum var. microcephalum
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 216. (1882) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 988. (1753)
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