Palafoxia arida
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Palafoxia arida var arida 3.jpg
|image_caption = Palafoxia arida var. arida (autonym)
|genus = Palafoxia
|species = arida
|authority = B.L.Turner & M.I.Morris{{ cite web |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/gcc-97019 |title=Palafoxia arida B.L.Turner & M.I.Morris |work=The Plant List; Version 1. (published on the internet) |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden |year=2010 |accessdate=January 17, 2012}} Palafoxia arida was published in Madrono; Journal of the California Botanical Society. Berkeley, California 23: 79. 1975. {{ cite web |url=http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=180795-2 |title=Plant Name Details for Palafoxia arida |quote=San Bernardino County (California, Southwestern U.S.A., Northern America) |work=IPNI |accessdate=January 17, 2012}}
}}
Palafoxia arida is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, known by the common names desert palafox and Spanish needle.
Distribution
It is native to the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert ecoregions of California, the Southwestern United States, and northwestern Mexico.
Description
Palafoxia arida is an annual herb producing an erect, branching, glandular stem. The rough-haired leaves are linear or lance-shaped and may exceed 10 centimeters long.
The inflorescence is an array of up to 40 flower heads. The cylindrical heads are about 2 to 3 centimeters long, lined with long, pointed phyllaries, and bearing up to 40 pink or white tubular disc florets.
The fruit is an achene over a centimeter long including the pappus.
=Varieties=
There are two varieties that are no longer accepted:
- Palafoxia arida var. arida — desert needle, desert palafox[http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Palafoxia+arida+var.+arida Calflora: Palafoxia arida var. arida]
- Palafoxia arida var. gigantea — giant Spanish needle; larger, reaching {{cvt|2|m}} in height[http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Palafoxia+arida+var.+gigantea Calflora: Palafoxia arida var. gigantea]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Palafoxia+arida Calflora Database: Palafoxia arida (Desert palafox, Spanish needle)]
- [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=4220 Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Palafoxia arida]
- [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PAAR8 USDA Plants Profile for Palafoxia arida (desert palafox)]
- [http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&where-taxon=Palafoxia+arida U.C. Photos gallery]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q966838}}
Category:Flora of the California desert regions
Category:Flora of the Sonoran Deserts
Category:Flora of Northwestern Mexico
Category:Flora of the Southwestern United States
Category:Natural history of the Colorado Desert
Category:Natural history of the Mojave Desert
Category:Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Asteroideae-stub}}