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Thymophylla pentachaeta var. pentachaeta (Parralena)
Richardson, Charmaine

Thymophylla pentachaeta var. pentachaeta

Thymophylla pentachaeta (DC.) Small var. pentachaeta

Parralena, Fiveneedle Pricklyleaf, Dogweed, Dyssodia

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Dyssodia pentachaeta, Hymenatherum pentachaetum

USDA Symbol: THPEP

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Fiveneedle pricklyleaf is small and erect, 4-10 inches tall. It has many branches with slender, needle-like leaves about 1/2 inch long, divided into narrow lobes tipped with a spine. The flower heads, 1/2 inch across, are above the leaves at the end of stems about 3 inches long. They are yellow and numerous, with prominent protruding yellow centers.

Strong-scented plants that have a lingering, unpleasant odor.

 

From the Image Gallery

20 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Subshrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Pinnate
Size Notes: Up to about 10 inches tall.
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Orange , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct
Bloom Notes: Tends to flower after rains.

Distribution

USA: NM , TX
Native Habitat: Dry roadsides, gravelly slopes, washes and rocky places, often on limestone throughout Texas.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun

Benefit

Fragrant Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds
Deer Resistant: High

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 0632 Collected Nov 4, 1993 in Bexar County by Mike Fox
NPSOT 0073 Collected Oct. 14, 1990 in Bexar County by Mollie Walton

2 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Bibliography

Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller

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 Thymophylla pentachaeta var. pentachaeta in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Thymophylla pentachaeta var. pentachaeta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Thymophylla pentachaeta var. pentachaeta

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-01-30
Research By: LAL

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