Thelesperma simplicifolium (A.Gray) A.Gray

Taxonomic Identity

Thelesperma simplicifolium is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant.

Growth Height

It usually grows between 20 and 70 cm (7.9 to 27.6 inches) tall.

Stem Leaf Arrangement

Its stem leaves are scattered across the proximal three-quarters or more of the plant's full height, with leaf internodes measuring 45 to 95 mm in length.

Leaf Lobe Characteristics

Most of its leaf lobes are linear to thread-like (filiform), measuring 5 to 60 mm long and 0.5 to 2 mm wide.

Ray Floret Traits

Each flower head of this species typically contains eight ray florets, each with a yellow lamina 9 to 20 mm long.

Flowering Period

The species generally flowers from April to July, though some individual plants may continue flowering into October.

Native Range

This species is native to Texas and New Mexico in the United States, and to Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in Mexico.

Introduced Distribution

It also occurs as a non-established introduced waif in California, where it is planted along roadsides.

Habitat and Elevation

It most commonly grows in open areas within oak or juniper woodlands or in desert scrub, usually growing on limestone, at elevations ranging from 100 to 1500 meters above sea level.