Chaenactis xantiana

(Redirected from Mojave pincushion)

Chaenactis xantiana, the Mojave pincushion or Xantus pincushion,[2] is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the western United States, from southeastern Oregon, Nevada, southern and eastern California and northwestern Arizona.[3] It is very common in the Antelope Valley in the Mojave Desert, and grows in sandy soils.[4][2]

Chaenactis xantiana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Chaenactis
Species:
C. xantiana
Binomial name
Chaenactis xantiana
Synonyms[1]

Chaenactis floribunda Greene

Description

edit

Chaenactis xantiana is an annual plant growing to 50 cm tall. The leaves are somewhat succulent, 3–7 cm long and 3–4 mm broad, in a basal rosette on the young plants which wither away during flowering, and spirally arranged leaves on the flowering stem; they are green, finely flecked with white scales giving an overall grayish color to the plant.[5][6]

The Mojave pincushion flowers are produced in a capitulum 3–6 cm diameter, and are white.[5]

It is similar to Chaenactis stevioides (Esteve pincushion).

The species is named for Hungarian-American ichthyologist John Xantus (1825-1894).[6]

References

edit
edit