Lasianthaea podocephala – San Pedro Daisy

Lasianthaea podocephala - San Pedro Daisy (flower)

Lasianthaea podocephala - San Pedro Daisy (flower showing phyllaries)

Lasianthaea podocephala - San Pedro Daisy

Lasianthaea podocephala - San Pedro Daisy

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Lasianthaea podocephala

Synonyms: Verbesina podocephala, Zexmenia podocephala

Common Name: San Pedro Daisy

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Upland, Mountain. This attractive wildflower grows in sunny to shady locations in rocky canyons, on slopes, in grassy areas, and in oak woodlands at low to middle elevations in the mountains.

Flower Color: Yellow

Flowering Season: Summer, Fall

Height: Up to 1 foot (60 cm) tall or more

Description: The flower heads have long flower stalks, large, broad, green, hairy phyllaries, bright yellow, elliptical, longitudinally-creased, shallowly-notched rays, and golden yellow disk flowers that are green before opening, giving the young flower heads the appearance of green-eyed daisies. The leaves are green, scabrous (rough-feeling), hispid-hairy (especially below and along the margins), opposite, lance-shaped, and very short petiolate (sessile-appearing). The stems are erect, branched, hispid-hairy, and green to brown in color. The plants have multiple tuberous roots that have been used in traditional herbal medicine.

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: Lasianthaea DC. – lasianthaea
Species: Lasianthaea podocephala (A. Gray) K. Becker – San Pedro daisy

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map