Plant Name
Scientific Name: Acourtia nana
Synonym: Perezia nana
Common Names: Dwarf Desertpeony, Dwarf Desert Peony, Desert Holly
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland
Flower Color: Pale pink
Flowering Season: Spring
Height: To 8 inches (20 cm) tall, but usually less
Description: There are 15 to 25 flowers per flower head. The flower heads are 1 inch (2.5 cm) across and are borne singly. The flowers are followed by fluffy seed heads with numerous pale tan-colored bristles. The leaves clasp the stems and are simple, dull green, stiff, leathery, and holly-like in appearance with rippled, spine-toothed margins.
Special Characteristics
Fragrant – The flowers have a sweet, violet-like fragrance.
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: Acourtia D. Don – desertpeony
Species: Acourtia nana (A. Gray) Reveal & King – dwarf desertpeony
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