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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Rafinesquia neomexicana (New mexico plumeseed)
Anderson, Wynn

Rafinesquia neomexicana

Rafinesquia neomexicana A. Gray

New Mexico Plumeseed, Plume-seed

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: RANE

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A smooth, sparsely-leaved, grayish-green plant with white flower heads at the ends of the few branches. Sap milky.

The genus name honors C. S. Rafinesque, an eccentric early naturalist. Two similar species in the same region are California Plumeseed (R. californica), with smaller heads and the stalk on the fruit longer than the body, and Tackstem (Calycoseris wrightii), with tack-shaped glands beneath the head.

 

From the Image Gallery

46 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Bloom Notes: Sometimes with rose or purplish veins abaxially.

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NM , NV , TX , UT
Native Distribution: Se. California and s. Utah to the tip of w. Texas; south to Mexico.
Native Habitat: Sandy or gravelly flats or slopes in deserts, often supported by shrubs.

Bibliography

Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Rafinesquia neomexicana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Rafinesquia neomexicana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Rafinesquia neomexicana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-13
Research By: TWC Staff

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