The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

bighead rockdaisy, large head rock daisy, limestone rockdaisy, Nevada Rock daisy

alcove rockdaisy, hanging-garden or alcove rock daisy

Habit Perennials or subshrubs, 15–55 cm (often dense, profusely branched clumps, sparsely leafy); densely hirtellous. Perennials or subshrubs, 30–75 cm (sprawling or pendulous, much branched, sparsely leafy); hispidulous.
Leaves

petioles 1–6 mm;

blades usually elliptic, lanceolate, lance-ovate, ovate, or suborbiculate, sometimes linear, 4–8(–15) × 1–10(–12) mm, margins entire, irregularly and sparsely serrate, or serrate-lobed.

(mostly alternate): petioles 1–3(–8) mm;

blades ovate to elliptic, 2–8 × 1–5 mm, margins entire.

Peduncles

10–45(–80) mm.

4–70 mm.

Involucres

campanulate.

campanulate.

Ray florets

0.

0.

Disc florets

45–60;

corollas yellow, tubes 1–1.6 mm, throats tubular to subfunnelform, 1.6–2.2 mm, lobes 0.4–0.7 mm.

30–60;

corollas yellow, tubes 0.5–0.8 mm, throats broadly tubular, 1.3–1.8 mm, lobes 0.4–0.6 mm.

Phyllaries

14–20, lanceolate to suboblanceolate, 5–6 × 1.3–1.9 mm.

11–16, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3.5–5 × 0.5–1 mm.

Heads

borne singly or (2–3) in loose, corymbiform arrays, 6–9(–10) × 5–6(–8) mm.

borne singly or in corymbiform arrays, 3.5–5 × 5–6 mm.

Cypselae

narrowly oblanceolate to suboblanceolate, 2.5–3 mm, margins thin-calloused, short-hairy;

pappi 0, or of single bristles.

narrowly oblanceolate, 3–3.8 mm, faces glabrous, margins thin-calloused, relatively long-ciliate;

pappi usually of 1–3(–4) unequal bristles 1–2.5 mm, rarely 0.

Perityle megalocephala

Perityle specuicola

Phenology Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Rock crevices and faces along rivers and seeps
Elevation 1100–2300 m (3600–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Of conservation concern.

Perityle specuicola, which resembles P. megalocephala and P. stansburii in having relatively small, sparse leaves, is found only in “hanging gardens” along streams and near seeps in Grand and San Juan counties. The stems of this rayless species are usually sprawling and long-pendent, the cypsela margins are thin and long-ciliate, and the pappi are of 1–4 bristles.

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

Key
1. Leaf blades ovate, lanceolate-ovate or elliptic to suborbiculate
var. megalocephala
1. Leaf blades linear to lanceolate
var. oligophylla
Source FNA vol. 21, p. 326. FNA vol. 21, p. 327.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Peritylinae > Perityle > sect. Laphamia Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Peritylinae > Perityle > sect. Laphamia
Sibling taxa
P. aglossa, P. ajoensis, P. ambrosiifolia, P. angustifolia, P. bisetosa, P. cernua, P. ciliata, P. cinerea, P. cochisensis, P. congesta, P. coronopifolia, P. dissecta, P. emoryi, P. fosteri, P. gilensis, P. gracilis, P. huecoensis, P. intricata, P. inyoensis, P. lemmonii, P. lindheimeri, P. microglossa, P. parryi, P. quinqueflora, P. rupestris, P. saxicola, P. specuicola, P. stansburyi, P. staurophylla, P. tenella, P. vaseyi, P. villosa, P. vitreomontana, P. warnockii
P. aglossa, P. ajoensis, P. ambrosiifolia, P. angustifolia, P. bisetosa, P. cernua, P. ciliata, P. cinerea, P. cochisensis, P. congesta, P. coronopifolia, P. dissecta, P. emoryi, P. fosteri, P. gilensis, P. gracilis, P. huecoensis, P. intricata, P. inyoensis, P. lemmonii, P. lindheimeri, P. megalocephala, P. microglossa, P. parryi, P. quinqueflora, P. rupestris, P. saxicola, P. stansburyi, P. staurophylla, P. tenella, P. vaseyi, P. villosa, P. vitreomontana, P. warnockii
Subordinate taxa
P. megalocephala var. megalocephala, P. megalocephala var. oligophylla
Synonyms Laphamia megalocephala
Name authority (S. Watson) J. F. Macbride: Contr. Gray Herb. 56: 39. (1918) S. L. Welsh & Neese: Great Basin Naturalist 43: 373. (1983)
Web links