Chaenactis xantiana

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
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Asterales
Family:
Asteraceae
Tribe:
Heliantheae
Genus:
Chaenactis
Species:
C. xantiana
Binomial name
Chaenactis xantiana
Synonyms[1]

Chaenactis floribunda Greene

Description

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
  1. The Plant List, Chaenactis xantiana A.Gray
  2. Calflora taxon report, University of California, Chaenactis xantiana A. Gray, Xantus Pincushion, Xantus' chaenactis, fleshcolor pincushion
  3. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  4. Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. 45
  5. Flora of North America, Fleshy pincushion, fleshcolor pincushion, Xantus pincushion, Chaenactis xantiana A. Gray
  6. Gray, Asa 1865. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 6: 545


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