Chaenactis stevioides
Encyclopedia
Chaenactis stevioides, with the common names Esteve's pincushion and Desert pincushion, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family
.
and the Great Basin
of the United States and the southwestern deserts extending into Mexico, where it grows in open arid and semiarid habitat. It is "among the most abundant spring wildflowers in the higher Mojave Desert
and southern Great Basin." It is also found in the southern California chaparral and woodlands
habitats.
The inflorescence
bears several flower heads
on a tall peduncle
. Each head is lined with rigid, hairy and glandular phyllaries
and filled with white, pink, or pale yellow flowers. The flowers around the edges are larger and open-faced, and the ones in the center of the head are smaller and somewhat tubular in shape. The fruit is an achene
with a pappus
of scales.
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...
.
Distribution
Esteve's pincushion is native to CaliforniaCalifornia
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...
and the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
of the United States and the southwestern deserts extending into Mexico, where it grows in open arid and semiarid habitat. It is "among the most abundant spring wildflowers in the higher Mojave Desert
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 southern Great Basin." It is also found in the southern California chaparral and woodlands
California chaparral and woodlands
The California chaparral and woodlands is a terrestrial ecoregion of lower northern, central, and southern California and northwestern Baja California , located on the west coast of North America...
habitats.
Description
Chaenactis stevioides is an annual herb growing one or more erect stems up to about 45 centimetres (17.7 in) tall. The stems are hairy with cobwebby fibers which thin with age. The leaves reach 2–4 cm (0.78740157480315–1.6 in) in length and are divided into many subdivided lobes.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...
bears several flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
on a tall peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
. Each head is lined with rigid, hairy and glandular 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...
and filled with white, pink, or pale yellow flowers. The flowers around the edges are larger and open-faced, and the ones in the center of the head are smaller and somewhat tubular in shape. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
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 scales.