Fendler's desert-dandelion
Malacothrix fendleri A.Gray
Malacothrix fendleri is an annual plant in the Asteraceae family, native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It grows in regions including Sonora, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Baja California, and parts of Mexico. The species was first described by A. Gray in 1853.
Description
This species has stems that are decumbent or ascending, typically 3-15 cm tall, with proximal and distal branching. Leaves are elliptic to oblong-oblanceolate, with proximal ones sometimes pinnately lobed and distal ones reduced to narrow or linear forms. The involucres are campanulate, with 13-25 phyllaries in 2-3 series. The yellow corollas are usually marked with red or purplish abaxial stripes. Cypselae are cylindrical, 1.8-2.4 mm long, with a persistent pappus of teeth and 1-2 bristles. The plant has a diploid chromosome count of 2n = 14.
Other common names
Fendler's desert-dandelionFendler's desertdandelion
Distribution
Sonora · Texas · New Mexico · Arizona · Baja California · MX · Mexico Northeast · Mexico Northwest
