After Jacob Whitman Bailey (1811-1857), early American microscopist and pioneer of this means of investigation. He graduated from West Point Military Academy and from 1834 until his death he taught and eventually became full professor of chemistry, minerology and geology at that institute. He made numerous improvements in the design of the microscope and amassed large collections of slides of microscopic objects. He was elected President of the American Association of the Advancement of Science in 1856 and was the author of more than 50 scientific papers. One of his sons became a chemist and geologist, and another, William Whitman, became a botanist
Species
pauciradiata
From the Latin for “few-rayed” [Compare pleniradiata]
Laxflower is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, at
elevations of less than 3000' (914 m). It prefers sandy habitats and full sun.
Plants: 4-20" (10-50 cm), often branched. Stems are
silvery (tomentose) due to the presence of many tiny hairs.
Leaves: Basal leaves wither quickly. Leaves higher up are
1½-6" (4-14 cm) long, linear-oblong to lanceolate or
oblanceolate, sometimes deeply lobed.
Flowers: Composite flowers are yellow. Each stem
contains 2-3 flowers. Each flower
contains 4-8 obovate rays, each with 3 shallow lobes, yellow or pale yellow.
There are 8-20 disc flowers, also yellow, and hairy. Flowers appear from March to May.
