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Carr, Bill

Palafoxia hookeriana

Palafoxia hookeriana Torr. & A. Gray

Sand Palafox, Showy Palafox, Hooker Palafoxia, Sand Palafoxia, Hooker's Palafoxia

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: paho

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Sand Palafox grows 16-40 inches tall and is unbranched except for the numerous flower stems on the upper third. It is lightly covered with hair, and somewhat sticky. Leaves are 4 inches long or less and 3/4 inch wide. Flower heads have 8-12 rose-colored ray flowers, deeply 3-toothed and about 1/2 inch long, and many rose-colored disc flowers (248).

This genus is named after Jos� de Palafox y Melzi, Duke of Saragossa (1776�1847), a Spanish captain-general, in the war against the invading armies of Napoleon.

The species is named for William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865), who was Director of Kew Gardens from 1841-1865. He wrote �Flora boreali-americana� and many other works. He was founder and editor of �Journal of Botany�.

From the Image Gallery

58 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Size Notes: Commonly up to about 40 inches tall. Occasionally found up to almost 6 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: Pink
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: MS , TX
Native Habitat: Dunes

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Limestone-based
Conditions Comments: Sand palafox is unbranched except for the numerous flower stems. It is lightly covered with hair, and somewhat sticky. Flower heads have 8–12 rose-colored ray flowers. Blooming can be increased and prolonged by prunning and dead heading.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Wildflower meadow, Rocky hillside
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies
Nectar Source: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds

From the National Organizations Directory

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

National Butterfly Center - Mission, TX

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-1321 Collected 2009-09-27 in Montgomery County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

1 collection(s) available in the Wildflower Center Seed Bank

Bibliography

Bibref 765 - McMillen's Texas Gardening: Wildflowers (1998) Howard, D.
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 248 - Texas Wildflowers: A Field Guide (1984) Loughmiller, C. & L. Loughmiller
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 Palafoxia hookeriana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Palafoxia hookeriana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Palafoxia hookeriana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-30
Research By: TWC Staff

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