Learn More Details About This Plant

Plant Data

Names and Taxonomy

  • Common Names: Desert Pincushion, Esteve's Pincushion, Steve's Dustymaiden
  • Synonyms: Chaenactis gillespiei, Chaenactis latifolia, Chaenactis mexicana
  • Family: Asteraceae
  • Genus Information: Number of Species: AZ 6, CA 13, NV 8, NM 3, TX 0, UT 5

Habit and Size

  • Duration: Annual
  • Type: Weed
  • Habit: Erect
  • Shape: Irregular
  • Size: 18 inches x 12 inches
  • Stem: Hairy with cobwebby fibers that thin with age, green to reddish brown

Leaves

  • Color: gray-green
  • Shape: Pinnately lobed, divided into several linear segments
  • Edge: Lobed
  • Ligule-Petiole:
  • Arrangement: Alternate
  • Leaf Retention: Deciduous

Flowers and Fruit

  • Sex: Hermaphroditic
  • Flower Color: White, pale cream, outer florets enlarged and ray-like
  • Flower Size: 0.75 inches
  • Number of Petals: 5 lobes per tubular disc floret
  • Bloom: March to June
  • Fruit: Achene with a scaly pappus

Habitat and Growing Conditions

  • Water Use: Low
  • Light: Full Sun
  • Soil: Sandy, Rocky, Well-draining
  • Habitat: Wash, Slope, Creosote bush scrub, Open desert flats

Distribution

  • Distribution: Western United States, AZ, CA, CO, ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, WY, and northwestern Mexico
  • Seen: Lake Mead, NV
  • Elevation: 100 ft (30 m) to 6,500 ft (1,981 m)

Gallery

Desert Pincushion (Chaenactis stevioides)

Lake Mead, NV

Desert Pincushion (Chaenactis stevioides)

Lake Mead, NV

Desert Pincushion (Chaenactis stevioides)

Lake Mead, NV