Monoptilon bellioides
Monoptilon bellioides, the desert star, also called Mojave desertstar,[1] is a desert flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
| Monoptilon bellioides | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Monoptilon |
| Species: | M. bellioides |
| Binomial name | |
| Monoptilon bellioides | |
Distribution
It is native to stony and sandy plains in the Mojave Desert of California and the Sonoran Deserts of the Southwestern United States northwestern Mexico. It is and is very common in the northern, eastern, and southern parts of the desert.
Description
Monoptilon bellioides is a short annual plant; in seasons with very little rainfall, the plant may only grow to 1–2 cm, if it grows at all, while in seasons of heavy rainfall, it can grow up to 25 cm tall. The leaves are linear, 5–10 mm long, with a blunt apex.
The flowers are produced in dense inflorescences (capitula), 2 cm diameter, with white ray florets and yellow disc florets in the center. The flowers open in the morning and close in the evening.
References
- USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Monoptilon bellioides". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
- Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. 41
- The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Western Region, 1992, pg. 380.
