Zinnia grandiflora
Encyclopedia
Zinnia grandiflora is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common names Rocky Mountains zinnia and Plains zinnia. It is native to the southwestern and south-central United States and the northern states of Mexico, where it grows on plains and foothills and other dry habitat.
It is a subshrub
growing up to 22 centimeters tall with many slender, branching stems. The oppositely arranged leaves are linear in shape and measure 1 to 3 centimeters long. The herbage is covered in short, rough hairs. The flower head
has 3 to 6 bright yellow ray florets each between 1 and 2 centimeters in length. At the center is a cluster of several tubular disc florets.
This plant is used by several Native American
groups, including the Zuni and Navajo
, for medicinal and ceremonial purposes, and as an ingredient in dye
and a body paint
.
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 names Rocky Mountains zinnia and Plains zinnia. It is native to the southwestern and south-central United States and the northern states of Mexico, where it grows on plains and foothills and other dry habitat.
It is a subshrub
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...
growing up to 22 centimeters tall with many slender, branching stems. The oppositely arranged leaves are linear in shape and measure 1 to 3 centimeters long. The herbage is covered in short, rough hairs. The flower head
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
has 3 to 6 bright yellow ray florets each between 1 and 2 centimeters in length. At the center is a cluster of several tubular disc florets.
This plant is used by several Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
groups, including the Zuni and Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
, for medicinal and ceremonial purposes, and as an ingredient in dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
and a body paint
Body painting
Body painting, or sometimes bodypainting, is a form of body art. Unlike tattoo and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, painted onto the human skin, and lasts for only several hours, or at most a couple of weeks. Body painting that is limited to the face is known as face painting...
.