Sanvitalia abertii
Encyclopedia
Sanvitalia abertii is a species of flowering plant in the aster family
known by the common name Abert's creeping zinnia. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in desert scrub, desert mountains and woodlands. It is an annual herb somewhat variable in appearance. The mainly erect stem may be 2 to 29 centimeters tall, and simple or with many branches. The linear or lance-shaped leaves are a few centimeters long. The plant is coated in rough hairs. The inflorescence
is a cyme of flower heads
with thick, leathery yellow ray florets 2 or 3 millimeters long and notched at the tips. The fruit is an achene
. Achenes arising from the ray florets are light-colored and tipped with pappi
, while those from the disc florets at the center of the flower head are darker and lack pappi.
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 name Abert's creeping zinnia. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in desert scrub, desert mountains and woodlands. It is an annual herb somewhat variable in appearance. The mainly erect stem may be 2 to 29 centimeters tall, and simple or with many branches. The linear or lance-shaped leaves are a few centimeters long. The plant is coated in rough hairs. 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...
is a cyme of flower heads
Head (botany)
The capitulum is considered the most derived form of inflorescence. Flower heads found outside Asteraceae show lesser degrees of specialization....
with thick, leathery yellow ray florets 2 or 3 millimeters long and notched at the tips. 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...
. Achenes arising from the ray florets are light-colored and tipped with pappi
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...
, while those from the disc florets at the center of the flower head are darker and lack pappi.