Pholistoma auritum
Encyclopedia
Pholistoma auritum is a species of flowering plant in the borage family which is known by the common name blue fiesta flower.
, southern Nevada
, and Arizona
, where it can be found in many types of habitat, from mountain talus
to coastal bluffs to desert scrub.
. The foliage is coated in hairs and bristles. The inflorescence
is made up of one or more widely bell-shaped flowers up to 1.5 centimeters long and 3 wide. The hair-lined flowers are blue to purple with darker markings in the centers.
The purple Arizona fiesta flower, Pholistoma auritum var. arizonicum, is considered a subspecies.
Distribution
It 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...
, southern 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 can be found in many types of habitat, from mountain talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
to coastal bluffs to desert scrub.
Description
Pholistoma auritum is an annual herb with a brittle, fleshy, bristly stem branching profusely, sometimes forming a tangle. The leaves are deeply lobed and toothed and borne on winged petiolesPetiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The foliage is coated in hairs and bristles. 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...
is made up of one or more widely bell-shaped flowers up to 1.5 centimeters long and 3 wide. The hair-lined flowers are blue to purple with darker markings in the centers.
The purple Arizona fiesta flower, Pholistoma auritum var. arizonicum, is considered a subspecies.