Plant Name
Scientific Name: Leptosiphon aureus
Synonym: Linanthus aureus
Common Names: Golden Linanthus, Yellow Linanthus, Desert Gold
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Annual
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland. This lovely little wildflower grows in dry, flat, open areas.
Flower Color: Golden yellow
Flowering Season: Spring
Height: To 6 inches (15 cm) tall
Description: The flowers are 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide and funnel-shaped with 5 broad, rounded lobes and a dark golden-orange center. The leaves are tiny, slender, opposite, and divided into 3 to 7 point-tipped, linear lobes. The stems are red-brown, slender, and thread-like. These little plants are sparse, low-growing, and difficult to spot unless blooming.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Polemoniaceae – Phlox family
Genus: Leptosiphon Benth.
Species: Leptosiphon aureus (Nutt.) J.M. Porter & L.A. Johnson – golden linanthus
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