''Palafoxia arida'' is a species of flowering plant in the
aster family, known by the common names desert palafox and Spanish needle.
Distribution
It is native to the
Mojave Desert and
Sonoran Desert ecoregions of
California, the
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...
, and northwestern Mexico.
Description
''Palafoxia arida'' is an annual herb producing an erect, branching, glandular stem. The rough-haired leaves are linear or lance-shaped and may exceed 10 centimeters long.
The
inflorescence is an array of up to 40
flower heads
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
. The cylindrical heads are about 2 to 3 centimeters long, lined with long, pointed
phyllaries, and bearing up to 40 pink or white tubular disc florets.
The fruit is an
achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
over a centimeter long including the
pappus.
Varieties
There are two varieties:
*''Palafoxia arida'' var. ''arida'' — desert needle, desert palafox.
*
''Palafoxia arida'' var. ''gigantea'' — giant Spanish needle; the larger, reaching in maximum height.
Calflora: ''Palafoxia arida'' var. ''gigantea''
/ref>
References
External links
Calflora Database: ''Palafoxia arida'' (Desert palafox, Spanish needle)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Palafoxia arida''USDA Plants Profile for ''Palafoxia arida'' (desert palafox)U.C. Photos gallery
arida
Flora of the California desert regions
Flora of the Sonoran Deserts
Flora of Northwestern Mexico
Flora of the Southwestern United States
Natural history of the Colorado Desert
Natural history of the Mojave Desert
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Asteroideae-stub