Thymophylla pentachaeta – Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf

Thymophylla pentachaeta - Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf, Five-needle Pricklyleaf, Dyssodia

Thymophylla pentachaeta - Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf, Five-needle Pricklyleaf, Dyssodia

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Thymophylla pentachaeta

Synonym: Dyssodia pentachaeta

Common Names: Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf, Five-needle Pricklyleaf, Dyssodia

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland. These wildflowers are fairly common in open or disturbed areas.

Flower Color: Yellow

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall

Height: Up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall, but usually less

Description: The flowers are on slender stems above the dense, mounding foliage. The individual flower heads are up to 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide and have yellow disks and rays. The leaves are dark green, opposite, and pinnately cleft into 3 to 11, threadlike, spine-tipped lobes. These plants typically grow wider than tall.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract butterflies.

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: Thymophylla Lag. – pricklyleaf
Species: Thymophylla pentachaeta (DC.) Small – fiveneedle pricklyleaf

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map