Chaenactis carphoclinia

Chaenactis carphoclinia is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name pebble pincushion. It is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, where it grows in rocky and gravelly habitat, such as the California deserts. The species is found in southern California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, Baja California, Sonora.[2][3]

Chaenactis carphoclinia
Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia in Death Valley, California
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Chaenactis
Species:
C. carphoclinia
Binomial name
Chaenactis carphoclinia
Synonyms[1]
  • Chaenactis attenuata A.Gray
  • Chaenactis paleolifera A.Nelson
  • Chaenactis peirsonii Jeps., syn of var. peirsonii

Description

Chaenactis carphoclinia, or pebble pincushion, is an annual herb growing an erect, branching stem up to about 60 centimeters (2 feet) in maximum height. The longest leaves are about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long and are usually divided into a few lobes. The inflorescence bears a few flower heads, each up to a centimeter wide. The head is lined with flat, sharp-pointed phyllaries which are reddish. The head contains several white or pink-tinted flowers with long, protruding anthers. The fruit is an achene a few millimeters in length tipped with a scaly pappus.[4]

Small plant of C. carphoclinia, in 2016 Death Valley superbloom
Varieties

There are two varieties of Chaenactis carphoclinia:

  • Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia is a smaller variety found throughout the species range
  • Chaenactis carphoclinia var. piersonii is a larger variety known only from the Santa Rosa Mountains in southern California[5]

References
  1. The Plant List, Chaenactis carphoclinia A.Gray
  2. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  3. Calflora taxon report, University of California, Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray, pebble pincushion
  4. Flora of North America, Pebble or straw-bed pincushion, Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 94. 1859.
  5. California Native Plant Society Rare Plants Inventory
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