Hecastocleis
| prickleleaf | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Hecastocleidoideae |
| Genus: | Hecastocleis |
| Species: | H. shockleyi |
| Binomial name | |
| Hecastocleis shockleyi A.Gray | |
Hecastocleis is a genus of plants in the daisy family containing the single species Hecastocleis shockleyi.[1][2] It is known by the common name prickleleaf. This plant is native to the desert mountains and plains of eastern California (Inyo, Mono, Kern, + San Bernardino Counties) and southern Nevada (Mineral, Esmeralda, Nye, Lincoln, + Clark Counties), where it grows on arid, rocky slopes and flats.[3][4][5]
Description
This is a low, brambly shrub producing a tangle of stiff, branching stems reaching heights between 40 and 70 centimeters. The stems have sparse glandular hairs and are lined with small pointed green leaves with a row of widely spaced spines along each edge. As the leaf dries and its flesh falls away, the spines remain as hard prickles.[4]
At the end of stem branches are solitary flower heads, each enclosed between flat, oval-shaped, sharply toothed, leaflike, pale yellow bracts. Between the bracts are the flower parts, which are pinkish when new and open into a greenish-yellow corolla. The fruit is a cylindrical achene.[4]
Classification
Hecastocleis shockleyi is the only species in the subfamily Hecastocleidoideae of the aster family (Asteraceae). Botanists at least as early as Asa Gray (in 1882) remarked on its distinctiveness; it appears to have no close relatives within the aster family.[6][7]
References
- ↑ Gray, Asa. 1882. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 17: 220–221 description in Latin, commentary in English
- ↑ Tropicos, Hecastocleis A. Gray
- ↑ Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution map
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Flora of North America, Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 71, Hecastocleis A. Gray
- ↑ Calflora, Hecastocleis shockleyi A. Gray, Shockley's prickleleaf, prickleleaf
- ↑ Panero, JL; VA Funk (2002-12-30). "Toward a phylogenetic subfamilial classification for the Compositae (Asteraceae)" (PDF). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington (Biological Society of Washington) 115 (4): 909–922. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
- ↑ Stevens, P (2001 onwards). "Angiosperm Phylogeny Website". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2007-08-05. Check date values in:
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