The BioFiles - Bill Hubick

    Silver Rock-Lettuce (Stephanomeria cichoriacea)

    Source: Wikipedia

    Stephanomeria cichoriacea
    Scientific classification Edit this classification
    Kingdom: Plantae
    Clade: Tracheophytes
    Clade: Angiosperms
    Clade: Eudicots
    Clade: Asterids
    Order: Asterales
    Family: Asteraceae
    Genus: Stephanomeria
    Species:
    S. cichoriacea
    Binomial name
    Stephanomeria cichoriacea

    Stephanomeria cichoriacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae; it is known by the common names chicoryleaf wirelettuce[1] and silver rock-lettuce. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the coastal mountain ranges as far north as Monterey County, but especially in southern California mountains such as the Transverse Ranges. Its habitat includes chaparral. It is a perennial herb producing slender upright stems reaching maximum heights exceeding one meter. The stem is woolly with hairs, especially on new growth. The leaves are mostly located in a basal rosette, the largest reaching 18 to 20 centimeters long. They are lance-shaped and often toothed along the edges, and the newer ones are woolly. Smaller leaves occur higher up the stem. The inflorescence is a long array of several flower heads, with some occurring in the upper leaf axils as well. Each head has a cylindrical base 1 to 2 centimeters long which is lined with layers of glandular phyllaries. The head contains 10 to 15 ray florets, each with an elongated tube and a pink ligule which may be up to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene tipped with a spreading cluster of long, plumelike pappus bristles.

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ NRCS. "Stephanomeria cichoriacea". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2 December 2015.
    [edit]