Perityle lemmonii

Perennials or subshrubs, 6-17(-23) cm (densely clumped, stems leafy); usually densely pilose to villous, sometimes glabrate. Leaves (opposite or alternate): petioles 3-8(-10) mm (usually shorter than blades); blades ovate to ovate-deltate (margins crenate, lacerate, laciniate, or serrate), or 3-5-lobed or pinnately divided (lobes crenate, lacerate, laciniate, lobed, or serrate), 6-18 × 7-20 mm. Heads borne singly or (2-3) in corymbiform arrays (often obscured by leaves), 7-10 × 5-9 mm. Peduncles 1-5(-10) mm. Involucres campanulate. Phyllaries 10-16, linear-lanceolate, lanceolate, to oblanceolate, 4-6.4(-8) × 1-1.7 mm (apices acute). Ray florets 0. Disc florets 20-40; corollas yellow, often tinged with purple, tubes 1-1.9 mm, throats broadly tubular to subfunnelform, 2-2.5(-2.9) mm, lobes 0.4-0.6 mm. Cypselae narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate, 2.5-3.2(-3.6) mm, margins thin-calloused, short-hairy; pappi usually of 1(-2) delicate bristles 1-3(-4) mm, rarely plus vestigial, hyaline scales, sometimes 0. 2n = 34.

Flowering spring-fall. Crevices of granitic boulders and cliffs; 600-2300 m; Ariz., N.Mex.; Mexico (Chihuahua).

Perityle lemmonii, which occurs in the mountain areas of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, has variable leaf morphology that is often consistent within geographic populations. Its former inclusion within P. dissecta is discussed under that species.

FNA 2006, Kearney and Peebles 1969

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Subshrub General: Perennial herbs or subshrubs, to 17 cm tall, densely clumped, stems leafy, usually densely pilose to villous, sometimes glabrate. Leaves: Opposite or alternate, ovate to ovate-deltate, margins roughly serrate, or 3-5-lobed or pinnately divided, the lobes crenate, lacerate, laciniate, lobed, or serrate, 6-18 mm long and 7-20 mm wide, the petioles usually shorter than the blades. Flowers: Heads small, discoid, disk flowers yellow, often tinged with purple, 20-40, involucres broadly campanulate to hemispheric, phyllaries 10-16, linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, to 8 mm long and 2 mm wide, apices acute, the heads borne solitary or in groups of 2-3 in corymbiform arrays, the inflorescences often obscured by leaves. Fruits: Achenes strongly compressed, 2.5-3 mm, oblong to narrowly oblanceolate, margins thin-calloused, sparsely short-ciliates. Pappus of 1-2 subplumose awns (these sometimes absent), and rarely vestigial, hyaline scales. Ecology: Found in granite rock crevices in canyons, from 2,000-7,500 ft (610-2286 m); flowering spring-fall. Distribution: Arizona, New Mexico; Mexico. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Perityle comes from Greek peri, around and tyle, a callus, which refers to the thick callused margin of the cypselae, while lemmonii is probably named for John Gil Lemmon (1832-1908) and his wife Sara Plummer Lemmon (1836-1923) who collected plants for Asa Gray. Synonyms: Laphamia lemmonii, Linnaeus dissecta subsp. lemmonii Editor: LCrumbacher 2011