Desert Twinbugs
Dicoria canescens
Photographed on the sandy flood plain of the Gila River near Buckeye, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA. 11 October 2007. This image is also hosted at higher resolution on Wikimedia Project
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RANGE: Sporadically common in deep sandy washes or along river flood plains where there is deep, fine soil. Sonoran Desert in Arizona and the Mojave Desert of California.
LEAVES: Triangular-ovate leaves are densely canescent due to an
abundance of ashy, scale-like hairs that serve to deflect intense sunlight.
Crushed foliage and especially the developing seeds emit an intense, unpleasant
aroma.
FRUIT: Each flower head usu. has just one female flower which developes
into a flattened
achene with a lacey margin. At the same time a pair of phyllaries
enlarges greatly and loosely encloses the seed in a papery globe.
FLOWERS:
Heads are small and numerous; borne in an open panicle. Abundant
pollen colors flowers yellow and emerges in yellow clouds when the plants are
bumped. A likely cause of allergies, but usu. low in abundance. Flowering late
fall into early winter.
SHRUB: A sparse, rather non-descript shrub of sandy areas. Mostly plants
are about a meter tall. Resembles some Atriplex
saltbush species that grow in the same habitat.
UNARMED, however, the stems and branches develop rather sharp, stiff hairs.