About Psathyrotes annua (Nutt.) A.Gray
Psathyrotes annua is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, with common names annual psathyrotes, turtleback, and mealy rosettes. It is native to the southwestern United States, and its range extends as far north as Idaho. It grows in desert and scrub habitat, often on alkali soils alongside plants such as shadscale. This is a low, flat or mounding plant with spreading, hairy, scaly stems. Its overall color ranges from pale green to reddish purple, and it has gray-green leaves; the whole plant has a dull appearance from a coating of fibers covering its surface. Its irregularly rounded leaf blades grow up to 1.6 centimeters long, with wavy or toothed edges. A knobby inflorescence grows from the leaf axils, lined with hairy gray-green phyllaries that have dull points curving outward. The inflorescence holds several hairy yellow to reddish disc florets. Its fruit is an achene densely covered in long hairs, tipped with a large pappus made of bristles.
