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Thymophylla acerosa (DC.) J.L. Strother  

No occurrences found

Family: Asteraceae
pricklyleaf dogweed
[Dyssodia acerosa DC.]
Thymophylla acerosa image
Max Licher
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John L. Strother in Flora of North America (vol. 21)
Subshrubs or shrubs, green, to 25 cm, usually puberulent, sometimes glabrescent, rarely glabrous. Stems erect (branched from bases). Leaves mostly opposite; blades not lobed, linear to acerose, 10-18 mm. Peduncles 0-10 mm, puberulent or glabrous. Calyculi of 5 lance-linear bractlets, lengths 1/2+ phyllaries. Involucres campanulate to cylindric, 5-7 mm. Phyllaries ca. 13, margins of outer distinct less than 1/6 their lengths, abaxial faces puberulent or glabrous. Ray florets 7-8; corollas lemon-yellow, laminae 5-6 × 2-3 mm. Disc florets 18-25+; corollas pale yellow, 3-4 mm. Cypselae 3-3.5 mm; pappi of ca. 20 scales (each a fascicle of 3-5 bristles), 3-4 mm. 2n = 16, 24. Flowering through the year, mostly summer-fall. Calcareous outcrops, gypseous soils; 1000-2000+ m; Ariz., Nev., N.Mex., Tex., Utah; Mexico.
FNA 2006, Martin and Hutchins 1980, Heil et al. 2013
Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Subshrub General: Aromatic subshrubs, to 25 cm tall, from a strong, woody taproot; stems woody at the base, erect to spreading, densely branching, glabrous to slightly villous. Leaves: Mostly opposite along the stems; blades linear to filiform, 1-2 cm long, sparsely scaberulous with scattered glands; usually with fascicles of smaller leaves in the axils. Flowers: Flower heads yellow and radiate, sessile or on short peduncles less than 1 cm long; involucres campanulate to cylindric, 5-7 mm high, the bracts (phyllaries) 8-14, fused together almost to the tips, gland-dotted; with calyculi (extra set of bracts below the flower head) of 5 much smaller bractlets; ray florets 7-8 per flower head, the laminae (ray petals) 5-6 mm long, yellow; disc florets 18-25 per flower head, pale yellow. Fruits: Achenes 3 mm long, cylindric; topped with a pappus of 20 scales, these dissected at the apex into 3-5 slender bristles. Ecology: Found in sandstone or limestone soils, on rocky slopes, mesas and low rolling hills, from desert scrub and pinyon-juniper communities, from 3,500-6,000 ft (1067-1829 m); flowers June-October. Distribution: s NV, s UT, AZ, NM, sw TX; south to s MEX. Notes: A low-growing, much-branched subshrub, often forming mounds; distinguished by the short, needle-like, resinous-sticky, fragrant leaves; small but showy yellow flower heads; and the amber to clear glands which look like oil droplets scattered on the leaves and phyllaries. It is often a plant of calcareous or gypsum soils. Distinguish from T. pentachaeta by the leaves and the locations of the flowers; T. acerosa has simple, linear, needle-like leaves 1-2 cm long, and sessile to subsessile flowers that are embedded in the foliage, while T. pentachaeta has leaves that are pinnately divided into 3-7 needle-like lobes, and flowers that are held above the foliage on peduncles 2-10 cm long. Ethnobotany: Used for fevers and to flavor tobacco. Etymology: Thymophylla is from the Greek thymos, thyme, and phyllon, for leaf, alluding to the similarity to the leaves of the thyme plant; acerosa means sharp, or with stiff needles, also referring to the leaves. Synonyms: Dyssodia acerosa Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2015, AHazelton 2017
Thymophylla acerosa
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Thymophylla acerosa image
Max Licher
Thymophylla acerosa image
Max Licher
Thymophylla acerosa image
Max Licher
Thymophylla acerosa image
Max Licher
Thymophylla acerosa image
Max Licher
Thymophylla acerosa image
Liz Makings
Thymophylla acerosa image
Liz Makings
Thymophylla acerosa image
E. Makings
Thymophylla acerosa image
Liz Makings
Thymophylla acerosa image
Patrick Alexander
Thymophylla acerosa image
Patrick Alexander
Thymophylla acerosa image
Patrick Alexander
Thymophylla acerosa image
Patrick Alexander
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