Sand Palafox

Plants of Palafoxia hookeriana with stems stipitate-glandular distally (versus throughout), phyllaries 7–12 (versus 10–16) mm, and florets 25–50 (versus 50–90) per head have been treated as var. minor Shinners.

Annuals, 25–180 cm. Stems usually stipitate-glandular throughout. Leaf blades broadly to narrowly lanceolate, 50–100 × 3–25 mm. Involucres broadly turbinate. Phyllaries 7–16+ × 3–5 mm, ± equal, scabrous and/or stipitate-glandular. Ray florets 5–13; corollas 10–20 mm, laminae 9–14 mm. Disc florets 25–90; corollas ± actinomorphic, 10–12 mm, throats ± funnelform, shorter than lobes. Cypselae 6–9 mm; pappus scales of inner cypselae 5–8 mm. 2n = 24.

Othake hookerianum (T. & G.) Bush, Trans. Acad, St. Louis 14:
177. 1904.
Palafoxia texana Hook. Ic. pi. 148. 1837. Not P. texana DC. 1836.
Palafoxia Hookeriana T. &. G. Fl. N. Am. 2: 368. 1842.
Polypteris Hookeriana A. Gray, Proc. Am, Acad. 19: 31. 1883.
Polypteris maxima Small, Fl. SE. U. S. 1288. 1903.
Othake maximum Bush, Trans. Acad. St. Louis 14: 179. 1904.
A stout rather simple annual; stem 5-10 dm. high, hispidulous and glandular throughout; leaves all linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, 3-nerved, the upper not much reduced, 5-10 cm. long, 1-2 cm. wide; involucre 12-15 mm. high, 15-20 mm. broad; bracts linear, hispid and glandular; ray-flowers 8-12; ligules deeply 3-cleft, about 15 mm. long; disk-coroUas purplish or rose-colored; tube about 8 mm. long; lobes linear, 4 mm. long; achenes 6-7 mm. long, 1 mm. thick, hirsute; squamellae of the disk-flowers lanceolate, 7-8 mm. long.
Type locality: Texas.
Distribution: Texas.