Acourtia wrightii – Brownfoot

Acourtia wrightii - Brownfoot, Perezia

Acourtia wrightii - Brownfoot, Perezia

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Acourtia wrightii

Synonym: Perezia wrightii

Common Names: Brownfoot, Perezia

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland

Flower Color: Bright pink to purple-pink

Flowering Season: Spring

Height: To 3 feet (91 cm) tall

Description: There are 8 to 12 florets in each 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) wide flower head. The flowers are in terminal clusters and are followed by fluffy seed heads with cream-colored bristles. The dark green leaves clasp the stems and are simple, sessile, alternate, and oval to oblong in shape with rippled, spine-toothed margins. There are brown hairs at the foot of the stems. The similar Acourtia thurberi has only 3 to 6 florets in each flower head.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract butterflies and bees.

Fragrant – The flowers have a floral honey scent.

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 wrightii (A. Gray) Reveal & King – brownfoot

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map