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

green threads, Hopi tea, Hopi tea greenthread, rayless greenthread

long-stalk greenthread, rayless greenthread

Habit Perennials or subshrubs, (20–)30–80+ cm. Perennials or subshrubs (may flower first year), 20–40+ cm.
Cauline leaves

± scattered over proximal 1/2–3/4 of plant heights, internodes mostly 40–100 mm;

lobes mostly linear to filiform, sometimes oblanceolate, 20–40(–50+) × 0.5–1(–2.5) mm.

mostly crowded over proximal 1/4–1/2 of plant heights, internodes mostly 5–25+ mm;

lobes mostly linear to filiform, 5–25(–45+) × 0.5(–1) mm.

Ray florets

0.

0.

Disc corollas

yellow, often with red-brown nerves, throats shorter than lobes.

yellow, sometimes with red-brown nerves, throats equal to or longer than lobes.

Calyculi

of 3–5+ ovate to oblong bractlets 1–2(–3) mm.

of 5 ovate bractlets 1–3 mm.

Cypselae

5–8 mm;

pappi 1–2(–3) mm.

2–3 mm;

pappi usually 0, rarely 0.1–0.3+ mm.

2n

= 22, 44.

= 40.

Thelesperma megapotamicum

Thelesperma longipes

Phenology Flowering (Apr–)May–Oct. Flowering (Mar–)Apr–Oct.
Habitat Disturbed places on sands or clays, oak/juniper woodlands, desert scrub, yellow-pine forests Openings in desert scrub, limestone ridges
Elevation 300–2900 m (1000–9500 ft) 500–2100 m (1600–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; UT; WY; South America; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Thelesperma megapotamicum sometimes persists after plantings outside its natural range in the flora area and may become established (e.g., in California).

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

Source FNA vol. 21, p. 202. FNA vol. 21, p. 201.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Coreopsidinae > Thelesperma Asteraceae > tribe Heliantheae > subtribe Coreopsidinae > Thelesperma
Sibling taxa
T. ambiguum, T. burridgeanum, T. filifolium, T. flavodiscum, T. longipes, T. nuecense, T. simplicifolium, T. subnudum
T. ambiguum, T. burridgeanum, T. filifolium, T. flavodiscum, T. megapotamicum, T. nuecense, T. simplicifolium, T. subnudum
Synonyms Bidens megapotamica, T. gracile
Name authority (Sprengel) Kuntze: Revis. Gen. Pl. 3(2): 182. (1898) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 109. (1852)
Web links