Psathyrotes annua
Encyclopedia
Psathyrotes annua is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name annual psathyrotes. It is native to the southwestern United States and as far north as Idaho
. It grows in desert and scrub habitat, often in areas with alkali soils
among plants such as shadscale
. It is a low, flat or mounding plant with spreading, hairy, scaly stems. It is pale green to reddish purple in color with gray-green leaves, its color dull from the coating of fibers on its surface. The irregularly rounded leaf blades are up to 1.6 centimeters long with wavy or toothed edges. The knobby inflorescence
arises from the leaf axils. It is lined with hairy gray-green phyllaries
with dull points that curve outward. It contains several hairy yellow to reddish disc florets. The fruit is an achene
covered densely in long hairs and tipped with a large 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 annual psathyrotes. It is native to the southwestern United States and as far north as Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. It grows in desert and scrub habitat, often in areas with alkali soils
Alkali soils
Alkali, or alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH , a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico-chemical properties mainly to the dominating presence of sodium carbonate...
among plants such as shadscale
Atriplex confertifolia
Atriplex confertifolia is a species of evergreen shrub in the Chenopodiaceae family, which is native to the western United States.-Habitat:Shadscale is a common, often dominant, shrub in the lowest and driest areas of the Great Basin...
. It is a low, flat or mounding plant with spreading, hairy, scaly stems. It is pale green to reddish purple in color with gray-green leaves, its color dull from the coating of fibers on its surface. The irregularly rounded leaf blades are up to 1.6 centimeters long with wavy or toothed edges. The knobby 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...
arises from the leaf axils. It is lined with hairy gray-green 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...
with dull points that curve outward. It contains several hairy yellow to reddish disc florets. 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...
covered densely in long hairs and tipped with a large 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.