About Senecio mohavensis A.Gray
Senecio mohavensis A.Gray grows from a twisted taproot and produces a single, branching, erect stem that reaches a maximum height of 30 to 40 centimeters. The plant is mostly hairless, and its stem ranges in color from green to purple. Its leaves have lobed or toothed blades a few centimeters long; lower leaves grow on short petioles, while leaves higher up the stem have wide bases that clasp the stem. The inflorescence is a spreading cluster of several flower heads, which contain between 15 and 30 yellow disc florets on average. Some flower heads have tiny ray florets that may be tucked out of view inside the phyllaries. The phyllaries are typically green, hairless, mostly fused, and measure approximately one-third of an inch long. This species blooms from March to May, and contact with it can cause minor dermatitis. This annual herb is native to the Mojave Desert of California, northwestern Arizona, and southwestern Nevada in southwestern United States, as well as the Sonoran Desert of California, Arizona, Baja California, and Sonora in northwestern Mexico. It grows in sandy and rocky habitats, most often in Creosote bush scrub communities.
