desert skeletonplant
Stephanomeria runcinata Nutt.
Stephanomeria runcinata is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, commonly known as desert skeletonplant or desert wirelettuce. It is a perennial species with a distribution across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Utah, North Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska. The plant typically grows 10-20 cm tall and features a rhizomatous root system. It was first described in 1841 by Nuttall.
Description
Stephanomeria runcinata is a perennial herb with erect or ascending stems that are either glabrous or weakly scabrous-puberulent. Basal leaves are narrowly lanceolate and runcinate, with pinnately lobed margins, while cauline leaves are reduced and bractlike. The plant produces single flower heads on branch tips, with peduncles 10-50 mm long. The involucres are 9-12 mm with 5-6 glabrous phyllaries. Each head contains 5-6 florets. The cypselae are tan, 3-5 mm in length, and have persistent pappi of 15-25 white bristles. Chromosome number is 2n = 16.
Other common names
desert wirelettucesaw-tooth wirelettucedesert skeletonplantflowering-strawruncinate-leaved rush-pinkrush-pinksawtooth wirelettuce
Distribution
Alberta · Saskatchewan · Utah · North Dakota · Colorado · Wyoming · Montana · Nebraska
Synonyms
Stephanomeria runcinata var. runcinataStephanomeria heterophyllaPtiloria ramosaStephanomeria ramosaPtiloria runcinata
