''Machaeranthera'' is a genus of
North American
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Ca ...
flowering plants in the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
which are known by the common name tansyaster.
[Flora of North America Vol. 20 Page 394 ''Machaeranthera'' Nees, Gen. Sp. Aster. 13, 224. 1832. ]
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Tansyasters are variable in appearance. Some are small, singular wildflowers, while others are sprawling shrubs. Several species easily hybridize with each other, as well, making identification difficult. In general, members of the genus may be identified by the sharp-pointed, dagger-shaped anthers in the disc florets
Disk or disc may refer to:
* Disk (mathematics), a geometric shape
* Disk storage
Music
* Disc (band), an American experimental music band
* ''Disk'' (album), a 1995 EP by Moby
Other uses
* Disk (functional analysis), a subset of a vector spac ...
at the center of the flower. The flower heads are usually daisylike, and are usually a shade of purple or blue, but may be pink, yellow, or white. Tansyasters are native to western North America.[
The genus ''Machaeranthera'' is distinguished from the genus '' Dieteria'' by having once- or twice-pinnate leaves, whereas ''Dieteria'' has entire to toothed leaves.][Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam MacKay, 2nd Ed. 2013, p. 39]
''Machaeranthera'' means "swordlike anthers".[Great Basin Wildflowers, Laird R. Blackwell, 2006, p. 26]
; Species[Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps]
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References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment
USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q547333
Astereae
Asteraceae genera