Encelia farinosa (Brittlebush)

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Encelia farinosa A. Gray ex Torr.

Brittlebush

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	Encelia	Named for German naturalist Christoph Entzelt
Species	farinosa

About plant names...

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).

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 31 × 21" (78 × 52 cm)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm)

Here are some similar species:

	*Senna armata*	You are here Encelia farinosa
Common Name	spiny senna	brittlebush
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