Wilcox's woollystar
Eriastrum wilcoxii (A.Nelson) H.Mason
Eriastrum wilcoxii is a flowering plant in the Polemoniaceae family, native to the western United States. It is an annual herb with thin, branching, woolly stems up to 30 cm tall. The species is known for its narrow, thready leaves and small flowers with yellow throats and blue corollas. It grows in desert and plateau habitats across California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Description
Eriastrum wilcoxii, known as Wilcox's woollystar, is a member of the Polemoniaceae family. This annual herb has thin, woolly stems and narrow, thready leaves up to 3 cm long, which may be lobed. The inflorescence features a woolly cluster of narrow, leaflike bracts with webby fibers. The small flowers have yellow throats and blue corollas with lobes up to 0.5 cm long. It is found in desert and plateau habitats across several western U.S. states, including California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The species was first described in 1945 by H. Mason, with the original authorship attributed to A. Nelson.
Other common names
Wilcox's woollystar
Distribution
California · Idaho · Nevada · Oregon · Utah · Washington · Wyoming
Synonyms
Welwitschia wilcoxiiEriastrum sparsiflorum var. wilcoxiiGilia wilcoxiiNavarretia wilcoxii