Brickellia Microphylla, Littleleaf Brickelbush
Plants > Wildflowers > Asteraceae > Brickellia Microphylla
Common name:
Littleleaf brickelbush
Family:
Scientific name:
Brickellia microphylla
Main flower color:
Range:
Most common between western Colorado and the Sierra Nevada in California
Height:
Up to 2 feet
Habitat:
Canyons, rocky places, washes, sand dunes, from 4,000 to 8,000 feet
Leaves:
Alternate, ovate to rounded, up to 0.8 inches long, with entire or sparsely toothed margins, and glandular hairy faces
Season:
July to October
As its common name suggests, leaves of brickellia microphylla are smaller than other species, less than an inch in length, on very short stalks. Leaves are blunt-pointed, the bases rounded to acute. Leaves are covered by short, glandular hairs. The branched stems are also hairy, and dotted with glands.
The inflorescence is an open cluster, mostly at the tips of the branches. Flowerheads have a narrow, cylindrical involucre, with between 30 and 48 phyllaries, all recurved. Phyllaries are green or purplish, relatively thick, glandular, with three to five darker lengthwise stripes. There are between eight and 28 florets, pale yellow to brownish, often purple-tinged.
Two varieties are var microphylla, with over 15 florets in the flowerhead and var scabra, with fewer than 13. Both varieties are widespread; var scabra is found more to the east and south.
The inflorescence is an open cluster, mostly at the tips of the branches. Flowerheads have a narrow, cylindrical involucre, with between 30 and 48 phyllaries, all recurved. Phyllaries are green or purplish, relatively thick, glandular, with three to five darker lengthwise stripes. There are between eight and 28 florets, pale yellow to brownish, often purple-tinged.
Two varieties are var microphylla, with over 15 florets in the flowerhead and var scabra, with fewer than 13. Both varieties are widespread; var scabra is found more to the east and south.
All Contents © Copyright The American Southwest | Comments and Questions | Contribute | Site Map