About Stephanomeria parryi A.Gray
Stephanomeria parryi A.Gray is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, commonly known as Parry's wirelettuce. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in many types of habitat, including large areas of desert. This plant is a perennial herb that grows from a thick root, and produces one or more slender, upright stems that reach up to roughly 40 centimeters in height. Its green leaves are linear to lance-shaped with lobed edges, and grow up to 8 centimeters long near the plant's base. Flower heads form along the plant's spreading branches. Each flower head holds up to 13 or 14 ray florets; every floret has an elongated tube and a whitish ligule that can grow up to 1.5 centimeters long. The fruit of the plant is an achene, tipped with a spreading cluster of long, tan, plumelike pappus bristles.
