Trixis californica

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Trixis californica

Close-up of Trixis californica in Palm Canyon, California.

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Subfamily:	Mutisioideae
Tribe:	Mutisieae
Genus:	Trixis
Species:	T. californica

Binomial name

Trixis californica
Kellogg

Trixis californica (American Threefold, and also called "Trixis") is a perennial shrub or subshrub of the Asteraceae family, the sunflower, aster, daisy family; it is found in the southwestern United States in the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas; also in regions of Mexico and northwestern Mexico. It is one of two species within the genus Trixis.

It is a sprawling shrub with bright yellow flowers, single or in flowerheads of up to 15 flowers. The flower is a terminal flower, also with side flowerheads along the main branch. Leaves are lance-shaped (lanceolate), dark green and 2 cm by 6 cm. It occurs up to 5000 feet elevation; found on rocky hillsides, and in deserts, especially in washes, and amongst other bushes, or brush.

[edit] Western Sonoran Desert specifics

Though usually flowering February to October, depending on winter conditions, can flower nearly year-round. In the western Sonoran Desert and Yuma Desert, it is exclusive to washes and is found growing only amongst other plants. In the Yuma Desert, it is found mainly in the Creosote Bush scrub community which covers much of southwestern Arizona, and in southern California, the Colorado Desert west of the Colorado River.

It ranges in nearly all Arizona counties; it is absent, or mostly absent in northeast Arizona, which is the Colorado Plateau high country, and the Navajo Nation area; Arizona county map: [1].