Geraea canescens Torr. & A. Gray
Desert sunflower, hairy desert sunflower, desert gold, hairy desertsunflower
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Asteridae A large class that encompasses asters
Order Asterales Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family Asteraceae The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus Geraea From the Greek geraios for old, for the white-haired involucre
Species canescens Covered with short gray or white hairs
About plant names...
The desert sunflower is native to western North America. It is a member of the aster family.
After a rain, these flowers carpet wide expanses of desert.
Identification: Desert sunflowers are 4-31″ (10-80 cm) high.
They have gray-green leaves ⅜-4″ (1-10 cm) long. Most of the leaves are near the base of the
plant. Each stem is narrow and hairy, and bears a single yellow flower 1-1½″ (2.5-3.8 cm) in diameter, with an orange center.
For this and many other flowers of the Anza Borrego desert, see this photo gallery.
Online References:
SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
George and Audrey DeLange's Arizona wildflower site
The Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association
EFloras
The Jepson Manual
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)
4/28/2018 · High Point Overlook, Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)
4/28/2018 · High Point Overlook, Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm)
4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
4/28/2018 · Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 10 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 4½ × 3″ (11 × 7.9 cm)
Older scientific or horticultural names
Geraea canescens Torr. & A. Gray var. canescens
Geraea canescens Torr. & A. Gray var. paniculata (A. Gray) S.F. Blake
Geraea canescens description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm)
4/28/2018 · Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 17 × 12″ (44 × 29 cm)
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (9.3 × 6.2 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm)
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California · ≈ 3 × 2″ (7.9 × 5.3 cm)
4/28/2018 · High Point Overlook, Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)
Range:
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