Pectis papposa
Pectis prostrata
chinchweed, common chinchweed, manybristle chinchweed
spreading chinchweed, spreading cinchweed
ascending, glabrous or puberulent.
prostrate to ascending (often mat-forming, densely leafy, especially distally), puberulent (in lines or throughout).
linear, 10–60 × 1–2 mm, margins with 1–3 pairs of setae, faces glabrous (dotted on margins with round to oval oil-glands 0.3–0.5 mm).
linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 10–40 × 1.5–7 mm, margins with 4–12 pairs of setae 1–3 mm, faces glabrous (abaxial densely dotted with round oil-glands 0.1–0.3 mm).
3–40 mm.
1–2 mm.
campanulate to cylindric.
campanulate, cylindric, or ellipsoid.
(7–)8(–10);
corollas 3–8 mm.
5;
corollas 2.5–3.5 mm (scarcely surpassing phyllaries).
6–34;
corollas 2–5.5 mm (weakly 2-lipped, glabrous or glandular-puberulent).
3–17;
corollas 1.8–2.5 mm (2-lipped).
distinct, linear, 3–8 × 0.5–1.7 mm (dotted with 1–5 subterminal oil-glands plus 2–5 pairs of submarginal oil-glands).
coherent (falling together), oblong to obovate, 5–8 × 1–3 mm (often dotted in submarginal rows and sometimes along midribs with elliptic oil-glands 0.1–0.3 mm).
in congested or open, cymiform arrays.
borne singly or in congested, (leafy) cymiform arrays.
2–5.5 mm, strigillose to short-pilose (hair tips curled, bulbous);
ray pappi usually coroniform, rarely of 1+ awns or bristles 1–4 mm;
disc pappi usually of 16–24, subplumose bristles 1.5–4 mm, rarely coroniform.
2.5–4.5 mm, strigillose;
pappi of 2 (ray) or 5 (disc) lanceolate scales 1.5–2.5 mm.
= 24.
Pectis papposa
Pectis prostrata
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Pectis papposa generally flowers following summer monsoon rains in the desert of southwestern United States and northern Mexico. In favorable years, it becomes an aspect dominant, coloring wide areas of the desert with its bright yellow heads.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The development of roads and highways has created ideal habitats for Pectis prostrata. Its range appears to be expanding along the coasts of Florida; it was discovered in Louisiana relatively recently. It can be expected to spread along the Gulf Coast and perhaps northward along the Atlantic Coast as well. Autogamy has apparently assisted P. prostrata to spread rapidly as suitable new habitats have become available.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Phyllaries 3–5 mm; disc florets 6–14(–18); disc pappi 1–2.5 mm | var. papposa |
1. Phyllaries 5–8 mm; disc florets 12–24(–34); disc pappi 2.5–4 mm | var. grandis |
CalFlora
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
LA Plants
