Common name:
Desert marigold
Family:
Scientific name:
Baileya multiradiata
Main flower color:
Range:
Southeast California, south Nevada, most of Arizona, far southwest Utah, south New Mexico and west Texas
Height:
From 12 to 20 inches
Habitat:
Deserts; rocky and sandy locations, roadsides
Leaves:
Greyish green, up to 3 inches long, pinnately divided into many small lobes
Season:
April to October
Most of the divided, lobed foliage of baileya multiradiata is clustered around the base of the relatively tall, unbranched, finely hairy stems, which are topped by a single, large, yellow flower, 2 inches in diameter. Flowers have between 25 and 50 ray petals, overlapping and on several layers, while at the center are many small, orange-yellow disc florets. The petals have three broad teeth at the tip, and are obovate in shape. The plants inhabits hot, dry environments, from the Mojave Desert of southeast California to the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas, and is particularly common along roadsides, where it benefits from water run-off from the highway surface.
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