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
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