Plant Name
Scientific Name: Stephanomeria pauciflora
Synonyms: Lygodesmia pauciflora, Ptiloria pauciflora, Stephanomeria cinerea, S. lygodesmoides, S. neomexicana
Common Names: Brownplume Wirelettuce, Desert Straw, Fewflower Wirelettuce, Wire Lettuce
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland, Mountain (lower elevations)
Flower Color: Pale pinkish lavender
Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Height: To 2 feet (61 cm) tall
Description: The flower heads are 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) wide and have toothed rays and pinkish purple stamens. The flowers are followed by seeds with tan, straw-like pappus bristles. The bases of the seed heads are persistent (don't fall off). The leaves are sparse, alternate, bluish green, and narrowly linear in shape. The numerous stems are smooth, slender, wiry, and highly branched.
The similar Lesser Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria minor) and Thurber's Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria thurberi) both have bright white, plumose pappus bristles, while Small Wirelettuce (Stephanomeria exigua) has widely flared or absent (fallen) seed head bases.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus: Stephanomeria Nutt. – wirelettuce
Species: Stephanomeria pauciflora (Torr.) A. Nelson – brownplume wirelettuce
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