Comments
provided by eFloras
Chaenactis fremontii is often the most abundant spring wildflower in the lower Mojave and northern Sonoran deserts, where it is reported to be a significant food source for desert tortoises (
Gopherus agassizii Cooper). It also extends seaward into the southern San Joaquin Valley area of west-central California, often as hybrids with other taxa (see sectional discussion).
The involucre bases described above are characteristic of Chaenactis fremontii and can help separate it from some forms of C. stevioides.
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Description
provided by eFloras
Plants 10–30(–40) cm; proximal indument glabrescent (early ± arachnoid, glabrous by flowering). Stems mostly 1–12; branches mainly proximal. Leaves basal (withering) and ± cauline, 1–7(–10) cm; largest blades linear and terete or ± elliptic and plane, ± succulent, 0–1-pinnately lobed; lobes 1–2(–5) pairs, remote, ± terete. Heads (± radiant) mostly 1–5 per stem. Peduncles 2–8(–10) cm, distally usually ± stipitate-glandular and, sometimes, ± arachnoid (at least early, often glabrescent by fruit). Involucres ± hemispheric to obconic (bases pale and ± truncate in fruit). Phyllaries: longest 8–10(–12) mm; outer usually glabrescent in fruit, apices erect, acute, ± rigid. Florets: corollas white to pinkish, 5–8 mm (inner); peripheral corollas spreading, zygomorphic, enlarged. Cypselae (3–)6–8 mm; pappi of (1–)4(–5) scales in 1 series, longest scales 6–8.5 mm, lengths 1–1.3 times corollas (apices visible among corollas at flowering). 2n = 10.
- license
- cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA
Comprehensive Description
provided by North American Flora
Chaenactis fremontii A. Gray, Proc. Am. Acad. 19: 30. 1883
A branched annual; stem 2-4 dm. high, glabrate, with many ascending branches; leaves pinnatifid into 3-6 linear-filiform divisions or simple; involucre 8-10 mm. high, 12-15 mm. broad; bracts linear, acute, in age perfectly glabrous; corollas pale-flesh-colored or white, about 6 mm. long, those of the margin with dilated, palmate limb; achenes 5 mm. long, hirsute; squamellae 4, lanceolate, nearly equaling the corolla, acute, or those of the marginal flowers shorter and some of them obtuse.
Type locality: Mohave Desert, California. Distribution: Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona.
- bibliographic citation
- Per Axel Rydberg. 1914. (CARDUALES); CARDUACEAE; HELENIEAE. North American flora. vol 34(1). New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY
Chaenactis fremontii: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Chaenactis fremontii, with the common names Frémont's pincushion and desert pincushion, is a species of annual wildflower in the daisy family. Both the latter common name, and the specific epithet are chosen in honor of John C. Frémont.
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
