''Stephanomeria paniculata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
known by the common names tufted wirelettuce
and stiff-branched wirelettuce. It is native to the northwestern United States, where it grows in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas. It is an annual or biennial herb producing a slender, erect stem with stiff, widely spreading branches toward the top. It is hairless. The leaves are mostly located in a basal rosette, the largest reaching 10 centimeters long. Smaller, linear leaves occur along the upper stem.
Flower heads
A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...
occur singly or in small clusters along the stiff branches. Each head contains 4 to 6 ray florets, each with an elongated tube and a pinkish or lavender ligule up to 1.4 centimeters long. The fruit is an
achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
tipped with a spreading cluster of long, white
pappus bristles.
References
External links
Jepson Manual TreatmentFlora of North AmericaWashington Burke MuseumPhoto gallery
paniculata
{{Cichorieae-stub