Brickellia desertorum
Encyclopedia
Brickellia desertorum is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
known by the common name desert brickellbush. It is native to the Mojave
and Sonoran Desert
s of California
, Nevada
, and Arizona
, where it is a common member of the desert scrub flora.
This is a densely branching shrub
with hairy stems growing to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) tall. The small, toothed, oval-shaped leaves are up to 1.2 centimeters long. The inflorescence
s at the end of stem branches contain clusters of flower heads
, each about a centimeter long and lined with greenish, purplish, or yellowish phyllaries
. At the tip of the head are 8 to 12 tubular disc florets.
The fruit is a hairy cylindrical achene
2 or 3 millimeters long with a pappus
of bristles.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common name desert brickellbush. It is native to the Mojave
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
s of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where it is a common member of the desert scrub flora.
This is a densely branching shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
with hairy stems growing to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) tall. The small, toothed, oval-shaped leaves are up to 1.2 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s at the end of stem branches contain clusters of flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
, each about a centimeter long and lined with greenish, purplish, or yellowish phyllaries
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 often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
. At the tip of the head are 8 to 12 tubular disc florets.
The fruit is a hairy cylindrical achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
2 or 3 millimeters long with a pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
of bristles.