Simsia calva
Simsia
awnless bush sunflower
bush sunflower
erect or ascending [decumbent], sparingly to freely branched.
petiole bases dilated (pairs fused to form discs at nodes);
blades ovate, 2–8 × 1.5–6 cm, sometimes 3-lobed.
cauline; opposite (proximal) or alternate [whorled]; petiolate (petioles often ± winged, often with expanded bases, those bases sometimes fused to form nodal “discs”) [sessile];
blades 3-nerved from bases, mostly deltate to ovate [linear], sometimes 3- [5-]lobed[pinnatifid], bases cordate to cuneate, ultimate margins entire or toothed, faces hirsute, hispid, pilose, puberulent, scabrous, or scabro-hispid [sericeous], often gland-dotted or ± stipitate-glandular to glandular-puberulent.
3–30 cm.
10–12 × 7–16 mm.
campanulate [ovoid-campanulate to urceolate], 5–16[–22] mm diam.
low-convex, paleate (paleae conduplicate, ± enclosing cypselae).
8–21;
corollas light orange-yellow (abaxial faces often brown- or purple-lined, or wholly brown or purple), laminae 5–16 mm.
[0–]5–21[–45], styliferous and sterile;
corollas orange-yellow [lemon-yellow, pink, purple, or white].
(26–)90–154;
anthers usually yellow, rarely black.
[12–]13–154[–172], bisexual, fertile;
corollas concolorous with rays (usually turning purple apically), tubes (often glandular-hairy) shorter than throats, lobes 5, ± triangular (anthers black, yellow, or yellow proximally and bronze or purple distally; style branches relatively slender, apices sometimes attenuate).
21–43, subequal to unequal.
persistent, [11–]13–43[–66] in 2–4 series (tightly appressed to broadly reflexed, unequal to subequal).
usually borne singly, sometimes in 2s or 3s.
radiate [discoid], borne singly or in 2s or 3s, or in tight to loose, corymbiform [paniculiform] arrays.
3.5–5.7 mm;
pappi 0 or to 4 mm.
flattened, thin-margined [thickened, biconvex] (shoulders minute to conspicuous, faces glabrous or hairy);
pappi 0, or fragile or readily falling, of 2 ± subulate scales [plus 4–12 shorter scales].
= 17.
= 34.
Simsia calva
Simsia
Simsia calva is widespread throughout central, southern, and southwestern Texas from the southern Texas Plains to the trans-Pecos mountains and into southeastern New Mexico.
Simsia calva is distinguished from S. lagasceiformis by its perennial habit, fusiform-thickened roots, petioles winged and fused at bases to form nodal discs, heads borne singly or in 2s or 3s, and anthers usually yellow, rarely black. The common name, awnless bush sunflower, is not truly appropriate. Most populations are epappose; some have minute scales, and some populations of S. lagasceiformis (normally pappose) are epappose.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 20 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Perennials or subshrubs (roots fusiform-thickened); ray florets 8–21, corollas light orange-yellow (abaxial faces often brown- or purple-lined, or wholly brown or purple); disc florets (26–)90–154; anthers usually yellow, rarely black | S. calva |
1. Annuals (rarely persisting, taprooted or fibrous rooted); ray florets 5–10, corollas orange-yellow; disc florets 13–27; anthers yellow proximally, usually purple to bronze distally | S. lagasceiformis |
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