Brickellia venosa

Perennials, 60-80 cm (caudices woody). Stems branched, pubescent, gland-dotted. Leaves opposite; petioles 0-1 mm; blades 3-nerved from bases, oblong to linear, 20-60 × 2-10 mm, bases cuneate, margins entire or dentate, apices obtuse, faces pubescent, gland-dotted. Heads in open, paniculiform arrays or borne singly (often terminal on lateral branches). Peduncles (20-)30-150 mm, puberulent, gland-dotted. Involucres cylindric to campanulate, 9-10 mm. Phyllaries 25-35 in 6-9 series, greenish, often purple-tinged, 3-9-striate, unequal, margins scarious (ciliate); outer broadly ovate to orbiculate (glandular-pubescent, apices acute to cuspidate), inner lanceolate to linear-lanceolate (glabrous, apices acute to mucronate). Florets 18-25; corollas pale yellow, often purple-tinged, 5.5-7 mm. Cypselae 3-3.5 mm, pubescent to velutinous; pappi of 30-40 white, barbellate bristles. 2n = 18, 18 + 1.

Flowering Aug-Oct. Dry hills, canyon walls, mesas, limestone outcrops; 1300-1800 m; Ariz., N. Mex.; Mexico.

FNA 2006, Wiggins 1964, Allred and Ivey 2012

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Subshrub General: Perennial herb, 60-80 cm tall, from a woody caudex; stems branched, tomentulose, and gland-dotted. Leaves: Opposite, sessile or on short petioles to 1 mm long; blades 3-nerved from base and reticulate-veined, oblong to linear, 2-6 cm long by 0.2-1 cm wide, bases cuneate, apices obtuse, margins entire to dentate, faces pubescent and gland dotted. Flowers: Flower heads discoid, arranged in lax, open panicles or solitary at the tips of lateral branches, the peduncles puberulent and gland-dotted, 3-15 cm long; involucre (ring of bracts wrapped around flower head) cylindric to campanulate, 9-10 mm, the bracts (phyllaries) 25-35 in 6-9 series, greenish, often purple-tinged, 3-9 striate, unequal, with scarious, ciliate margins; florets 18-25, all discs, the corollas pale yellow, often purple-tinged, 5-6 mm long. Fruits: Achenes 3 mm, pubescent to velutinous, topped with a pappus of 30-40 white, barbellate bristles. Ecology: Found on dry hills, rocky slopes, canyon walls, and limestone outcrops, from 4,500-6,000 ft (1372-1829 m); flowers August-October. Distribution: se AZ, sw NM, sw TX; south to n MEX. Notes: Brickellia is a genus of shrubs and perennial herbs with all disc flowers, these usually white to cream colored; flower heads wrapped in several rows of bracts (phyllaries), the outer rows shorter than the inner rows; and 10-nerved seeds topped with white tufts of bristles. B. venosa is distinguished by being a branched, gray-green perennial herb with short-petioled oblong-shaped opposite leaves with short hairs, and flower heads on long peduncles. Similar to B. lemmonii but that species has generally unbranched stems and shorter peduncles, 1.5 cm or less. B. eupatorioides also appears similar, but that species has a tuft of plumose (feathery) bristles on each seed, while B. venosa has smooth or barbed bristles (use a hand lens). Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genus have uses. Etymology: Brickellia is named for Dr. John Brickell (1749-1809), a botanist and physician who worked in Georgia; venosa means noticeably veined. Synonyms: Coleosanthus venosus Editor: SBuckley 2010, FSCoburn 2014, AHazelton 2015