Plant Name
Scientific Name: Chaenactis stevioides
Synonyms: Chaenactis gillespiei, C. latifolia, C. mexicana
Common Names: Esteve's Pincushion, Steve's Dustymaiden
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Annual
Growth Habit: Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert, Upland
Flower Color: White to cream, Pinkish, Pale yellow
Flowering Season: Spring
Height: To 1 foot (30 cm) tall or more
Description: The rayless flower heads have enlarged outer corollas and are 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) across. The leaves are slender, green, and 1-2-pinnate with 4 to 8 main lobe pairs.
The similar Pebble Pincushion (Chaenactis carphoclinia) and Bighead Dustymaiden (C. macrantha) have barely enlarged peripheral corollas, while the similar Pincushion Flower (C. fremontii) has 0-1-pinnate leaves with only 1 to 2 lobe pairs.
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: Chaenactis DC. – pincushion
Species: Chaenactis stevioides Hook. & Arn. – Esteve's pincushion
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