Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr. var. farinosa
Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr. var. phenicodonta (S.F. Blake) I.M. Johnst.
Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr. var. radians Brandegee ex S.F. Blake
Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr. Brittlebush
Brittlebush, so named because its branches snap easily, is widespread in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Some natives burned the resin of these plants as incense. It is found in dry, gravelly slopes and open sandy washes, at elevations up to 3281′ (1 km). Plants: Forms rounded bushes 12-59″ (30-150 cm) high. Leaves: Leaves are triangular (ovate to deltoid), blue-gray, and 1-3″ (3-8 cm) long. Fine matted plant hairs on the leaves give them a silvery appearance. Flowers: Yellow flower stalks extend outward from the domelike bush. Each flower is 1-1¼″ (3-3.5 cm) around. Each is a composite flower, comprised of a central disc with many yellow or purple-brown disc florets, and yellow or orange-yellow ray florets. Fruits: 1/16-3/16″ (3-6 mm). |
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Here are some similar species:
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Senna armata |
You are here Encelia farinosa |
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Common Name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plant | Shrubs up to 3′ (1 m) in height. They are densely branched, any many of the branches terminate in sharp spines. | Forms rounded bushes 12-59″ (30-150 cm) high. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | Yellow, or salmon pink, occurring singly or in clusters in leaf axils. Each flower has five petals, and is ⅝-⅞″ (1.6-2.4 cm) in diameter. Flower petals are not evenly distributed, so the flower has bilateral symmetry but not radial symmetry. Flowers appear from March to July. | Yellow flower stalks extend outward from the domelike bush. Each flower is 1-1¼″ (3-3.5 cm) around. Each is a composite flower, comprised of a central disc with many yellow or purple-brown disc florets, and yellow or orange-yellow ray florets. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | Leaves are on long and narrow branchlets, in 2-4 opposite pairs. Each leaflet is ⅛-3/16″ (4-6 mm) around, and ovate. Leaf pairs aren’t quite symmetric. Leaves are dropped entirely most of the time. | Leaves are triangular (ovate to deltoid), blue-gray, and 1-3″ (3-8 cm) long. Fine matted plant hairs on the leaves give them a silvery appearance. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Pods are ⅞-1½″ (2.5-4 cm) long, straight, and contain a few seeds. | 1/16-3/16″ (3-6 mm). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Habitats | In sandy or gravelly washes, at elevations of 328-4593′ (100-1400 m). | Dry, gravelly slopes and open sandy washes, at elevations up to 3281′ (1 km). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Wild | Wild |
Online References:
Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert
Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database
Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr. var. farinosa
Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr. var. phenicodonta (S.F. Blake) I.M. Johnst.
Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr. var. radians Brandegee ex S.F. Blake
Encelia farinosa description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 7 Oct 2021.
Range: