Machaeranthera canescens
Encyclopedia
Machaeranthera canescens (syn.
Dieteria canescens) is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common names hoary tansyaster and hoary-aster. It is native to western and central North America, where it is a common plant in many regions and habitat types. It is a woolly-haired, glandular annual or perennial herb with one or more branching stems sometimes exceeding a meter in height. The linear to oblong leaves may reach 10 centimeters long near the base of the stems, their edges usually serrated or toothed. The inflorescence
bears one or more flower heads
lined with several layers of pointed, curling or curving phyllaries. The head has a center of many yellow disc florets and a fringe of blue or purple ray florets each 1 to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene
around 3 millimeters in length tipped with a pappus
of long hairs.
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
Dieteria canescens) is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
known by the common names hoary tansyaster and hoary-aster. It is native to western and central North America, where it is a common plant in many regions and habitat types. It is a woolly-haired, glandular annual or perennial herb with one or more branching stems sometimes exceeding a meter in height. The linear to oblong leaves may reach 10 centimeters long near the base of the stems, their edges usually serrated or toothed. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears one or more flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
lined with several layers of pointed, curling or curving phyllaries. The head has a center of many yellow disc florets and a fringe of blue or purple ray florets each 1 to 2 centimeters long. The fruit is an achene
Achene
An achene is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate and indehiscent...
around 3 millimeters in length tipped with a pappus
Pappus (flower structure)
The pappus is the modified calyx, the part of an individual disk, ray or ligule floret surrounding the base of the corolla, in flower heads of the plant family Asteraceae. The pappus may be composed of bristles , awns, scales, or may be absent. In some species, the pappus is too small to see...
of long hairs.