''Palafoxia'', or palafox, is a genus of North American flowering plants in the Bahia tribe within the Asteraceae (sunflower family). This genus is named after

José de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernac ...

(1776–1847), a Spanish captain-general, in the war against the invading armies of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. These are drought-tolerant, annual

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s growing on sandy plains, dunes, deserts ( Mojave desert, Sonoran desert) and rangeland, native to the United States and Mexico. ''P. callosa'' is

naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

in Hawaii. The erect, slender

stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...

grows 30–60 cm tall, branching in the lower half and is sparsely leaved. It is glandular and hairy on the upper parts.Flora of North America Vol. 21 Page 388 ''Palafoxia'' Lagasca
/ref> The glabrous, glandular

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are lanceolate, 3–20 mm wide and 4–7.5 cm long, and are arranged alternately. A few flower heads appear at the end of the upper branches. The reddish to pink ray florets have three narrow lobes. They are subtended by involucral

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s. The seed-like fruit is narrow with a pappus of several pointed scales (giving rise to the common name 'Spanish Needles' for ''P. arida''). These plants self-sow freely. They are attractive to bees, butterflies and birds and are used as food plants by the larvae of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species including '' Schinia niveicosta'', which feeds exclusively on ''P. linearis''. Rosy palafox (''Palafoxia rosea'') has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of fever, nausea and chills. ; SpeciesFlann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
/ref>Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
/ref> * '' Palafoxia arida'' B.L. Turner & Morris : Spanish needles, desert palafox -

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

, CA AZ NV UT * ''

Palafoxia callosa ''Palafoxia callosa'', commonly known as the small palafox, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is native to North America, where it is found in the south-central United States and in the state of Coahuila Coahuila (), f ...

'' (Nutt.) Torr. & Gray : small palafox -

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

, TX LA MS AR MO OK * ''

Palafoxia hookeriana ''Palafoxia'', or palafox, is a genus of North American flowering plants in the Bahia tribe within the Asteraceae (sunflower family). This genus is named after José de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa (1776–1847), a Spanish captain-gen ...

'' Torr. & Gray : sand palafox - TX * '' Palafoxia integrifolia'' (Nutt.) Torr. & Gray : coastalplain palafox - FL GA * '' Palafoxia lindenii'' A.Gray - Veracruz * ''

Palafoxia linearis ''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 Southwester ...

'' (Cav.) Lag. -

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, California ( San Bernardino Co) * '' Palafoxia reverchonii'' (Bush) Cory : Reverchon's palafox - TX * ''

Palafoxia riograndensis ''Palafoxia riograndensis'', the Rio Grande palafox or Rio Grande Spanish needles, is a plant species native to Texas, Chihuahua and Coahuila. It is named for the Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del ...

'' Cory : Rio Grande palafox -

, Texas ( Big Bend area) * ''

Palafoxia rosea ''Palafoxia'', or palafox, is a genus of North American flowering plants in the Bahia tribe within the Asteraceae (sunflower family). This genus is named after José de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa (1776–1847), a Spanish captain-gen ...

'' (Bush) Cory : rosy palafox -

Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...

* ''

Palafoxia sphacelata ''Palafoxia'', or palafox, is a genus of North American flowering plants in the Bahia tribe within the Asteraceae (sunflower family). This genus is named after José de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa (1776–1847), a Spanish captain-gener ...

'' (Nutt. ex Torr.) Cory : showy palafox, sand palafox, rotting palafox -

, Veracruz, TX NM OK KS NE CO * ''

Palafoxia texana ''Palafoxia'', or palafox, is a genus of North American flowering plants in the Bahia tribe within the Asteraceae (sunflower family). This genus is named after José de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa (1776–1847), a Spanish captain-gen ...

'' DC. :Texas palafox -

, Tamaulipas,

, Veracruz, TX LA FL

References

* * Tucker J.M. and M.I. Morris. 1975. New taxa of ''Palafoxia'' (Asteraceae: Helenieae). Madroño 23:79–80. * Turner, B. L. and M. L. Morris. 1976. Systematics of ''Palafoxia'' (Asteraceae: Helenieae). Rhodora 78:567–628.

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Palafoxia''

Jepson Manual Treatment: ''Palafoxia''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5221192 Asteraceae genera Flora of Mexico Flora of the United States Taxa named by Mariano Lagasca