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 Flower head Big Bug MesaSue Smith |  Flowers Big Bug MesaSue Smith |  Leaf Big Bug MesaSue Smith |  Basal leaves Big Bug MesaSue Smith |  Plant - summer Big Bug MesaSue Smith | |
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Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Biennial or perennial
General Desc:
Produces small but numerous bright yellow flowers atop a single or several stems growng out of many, deeply incised, lobed leaves.
Identification notes: Plants herbaceous to their base up to 28 inches tall; basal leaves highly divided, terminal division short; upper leaves are much reduced. Flower heads numerous, yellow rayed, bracts red-tipped, flower stalks woolly where they attach to the main stem.
Height:
To 30 inches
Habitat Description: Dry rocky or sandy soils, woodland and forest openings. Shady cottonwood groves, deserts, pinyon/juniper forests and coniferous forests.
Plant Communities:
Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Montane Conifer Forest
Elevation: 2000 - 7500 feet
Color:
Yellow
Shape:
Daisy or dandelion-like in round clusters
Tubular:
N
Flowering Period:
Apr - Oct
Description:
Yellow rays with yellowish-orange disc flowers; 1 inch wide; many clusters of numerous flower heads. Flower head bracts in 1 to 2 series, green, often with purplish or reddish tips.
Leaf Color:
Dark green
Leaf Type:
Simple
Leaf Shape:
Pinnatifid
Leaf Margin:
Dissected
Leaf Attachment:
Basal and alternate
Leaves Clasp:
N
Hairs:
No
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
The deeply cut, lobed leaves are mostly basal, with some alternate stem leaves that become smaller as they go up the stem. Basal leaves are up to 5 inches long and 1-1/2 inches wide. Plant grows from a taproot.
Fruit Color: Light brown
Fruit Type: Achene
Seed Notes: Each head produces about 20 smooth seeds with long white bristles to carry them away in the wind.
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