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Unknown, NPSOT
Monoptilon bellioides
Monoptilon bellioides (A. Gray) H.M. Hall
Mojave Desertstar, Bristly Desertstar, Desert Star
Asteraceae (Aster Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: MOBE2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
A small low plant with flower heads of white rays often tinged with rose surrounding a yellow central disc; longer branches tending to lie on ground.
As is often characteristic of desert annuals, this species' growth depends upon the amount of rainfall. If winter rains are ample, it and other spring wildflowers grow in profusion, even obscuring the surface of the ground; if rainfall is scant, the plant will be only a fraction of an inch tall, with one head disproportionately large in comparison to the rest of the plant. Daisy Desert Star (M. bellidiforme), a very similar species from the same region, has only one plume-tipped bristle atop the fruit.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: AnnualHabit: Herb
Size Notes: Up to about 2 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: White , Pink , YellowBloom Time: Jan , Feb , Mar , Apr , May
Distribution
USA: AZ , CA , NVNative Distribution: Southern California, western Arizona, and northwestern Mexico.
Native Habitat: Sandy or gravelly, desert flats.
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Additional resources
USDA: Find Monoptilon bellioides in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Monoptilon bellioides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Monoptilon bellioides
Metadata
Record Modified: 2022-12-30Research By: TWC Staff