Dieteria canescens
| Dieteria canescens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Machaeranthera |
| Species: | M. canescens |
| Binomial name | |
| Machaeranthera canescens (Pursh) A.Gray | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Dieteria canescens | |
Dieteria canascens (formerly Machaeranthera canescens)[1] is an annual plant or short lived perennial plant in the Sunflower of Aster Family (Asteraceae), known by the common names hoary tansyaster and hoary-aster.[2]
"Canascens" means "gray-hairy".[3]
Range and habitat
It is native to western and central North America, where it is a common plant in many regions and habitat types.
Growth pattern
It is a woolly-haired, glandular annual or perennial herb with one or more branching stems sometimes exceeding a meter in height.
Leaves and stems
The linear to oblong leaves may reach 10 centimeters long near the base of the stems, their edges usually serrated or toothed.
The stems are glandular with short hairs.[2]
Flowers and fruits
The inflorescence bears one or more flower heads lined with several layers of pointed, curling or curving phyllaries. The head has a center of many yellow disc florets and a fringe of blue or purple ray florets each 1 to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene around 3 millimeters in length tipped with a pappus of long hairs.
A number of insects can often be found in the flowers.[2]
Uses
The Zuni people take an infusion the whole plant of subspecies canescens, variety canescens and rub it on the abdomen as an emetic. [4]