Prenanthella
Prenanthella is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the daisy family.[1] It contains the single species Prenanthella exigua, which is known by the common name brightwhite.[2] It is native to the southwestern United States from California to Texas and it is known as far north as Idaho. Its habitat includes desert and woodlands. This annual herb produces a slender, branching stem reaching a maximum height near 40 centimeters. It has a sparse coating of glandular hairs and contains a milky juice. Most of the leaves are located near the base of the stem. They are widely lance-shaped and sometimes divided into segments. Smaller leaves occur higher on the stem; these may be reduced to scale-like structures, leaving the stem mostly bare. The inflorescence is a wide open panicle of several flower heads. Each small head is cylindrical and narrow, its base wrapped in lance-shaped phyllaries. At the tip of the head bloom 3 or 4 flowers, which are ray florets; there are no disc florets. Each floret has is white to pale pink and has a toothed tip. The fruit is a white achene with a pappus of white bristles.
Prenanthella | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Tribe: | Cichorieae |
Genus: | Prenanthella Rydb. |
Species: | P. exigua |
Binomial name | |
Prenanthella exigua (A.Gray) Rydb. | |
Synonyms | |
Lygodesmia exigua |
References
- Ford, V. S., et al. (2006). Species divergence and relationships in Stephanomeria (Compositae): PgiC phylogeny compared to prior biosystematic studies. American Journal of Botany 93: 480-90.
- USDA Plants Profile