Perkysue

Perennials, 6–25(–42+) cm. Caudices ± branched, branches notably thickened distally. Stems 1–8(–12), erect, leafy, ± branched distally. Leaves basal and cauline, entire, usually densely strigoso-canescent, ± gland-dotted; basal leaves tightly clustered, blades spatulate to oblanceolate; proximal cauline blades oblanceolate; mid blades oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 2.5–5 mm wide; distal blades linear-lanceolate to linear. Heads 1–10(–30) per plant (1–7 per stem), borne singly or in paniculiform to corymbiform arrays. Peduncles 2–13.5 cm, usually densely hairy. Involucres (5–)7–10 × 8–15 mm. Outer phyllaries 8–11, 4–6.5 mm, margins 0–0.3 mm wide, usually scarious, abaxial faces densely hairy. Ray florets 8–14; corollas 11.8–17 mm. Disc florets 25–75(–100+); corollas yellow proximally, yellow or rarely purplish distally, 2.8–3.8 mm. Cypselae 2.4–3.1 mm; pappi of 5–6 obovate, aristate scales 2.1–3.5 mm. 2n = 30, 60.

Actinella argentea A. Gray, Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 100. 1849; Hymenoxys argentea (A. Gray) K. F. Parker; Tetraneuris formosa Greene ex Wooton & Standley; T. leptoclada (A. Gray) Greene; T. trinervata Greene

Tetraneuris formosa Greene; Wooton & Standley, Contr U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: 192. 1913.
A caulescent cespitose perennial, with a short woody caudex, not conspicuously longhairy; stem about 2 dm. high, loosely pubescent; basal leaves spatulate, 4-6 cm. long, 5-9 mm. wide, obtuse, green, sparingly pilose on both sides, punctate; stem-leaves 3-5, linear-oblanceolate; involucre 7-8 mm. high, about 12 mm. broad; bracts oblong, obtuse, densely silkyvillous; ligules fully 15 mm. long, 7-8 mm. wide, conspicuously 4-5-veined; disk-corollas 4 mm. long; achenes densely hirsute, 3 mm. long; squamellae fully 2 mm. long, ovate, abruptly acuminate.
Type locality: Hills near Kingston, Sierra County, New Mexico. Distribution: New Mexico.

Tetraneuris argentea (A. Gray) Greene, Pittonia 3: 269. 1898
Actinella argenlea A. Gray, Mem. Am. Acad. II. 4: 100. 1849. Ptilepida argentea A. Heller, PI. World 1: 22. 1897.
A caulescent cespitose perennial, with a short caudex; stem 1-2 dm. high, densely silky;
basal leaves linear-oblanceolate or oblanceolate, 3-10 cm. long, 3-10 mm. wide, silvery-silky;
stem-leaves 3-10, linear or linear-oblanceolate; peduncles 2-10 cm. long; involucre 6-7 mm.
high, 10-12 mm. broad, silky; bracts elliptic, acute; ligules about 10 mm. long, 5-6 mm. wide;
disk-corollas 4 mm. long; achenes 3 mm. long, densely hirsute; squamellae 3 mm. long, ovate,
abruptly acuminate into a short awn.
Type locality: Santa Fe, New Mexico. Distribution: New Mexico.

Tetraneuris trinervata Greene, Pittonia 3: 267. 1!
A subacaulescent perennial, with a short thick caudex covered with remnants of leaves and long brown hairs; leaves crowded on the caudex, very narrowly linear-spatulate, 3-5 cm. long, 1-2 mm. wide, with a broader 3-ribbed base, densely silky-canescent or the bases glabra te; scape 5-12 cm. long, appressed-silky; involucre about 6 mm. high and 10 mm. broad; ligules about 7 mm. long and 3 mm. wide, sparingly pubescent; disk-corollas 3 mm. long; achenes densely hirsute, 2.5 mm. long; squamellae about 2 mm. long, lanceolate, merely awn-pointed.
Type locality: Sandia Mountains, New Mexico. Distribution: Colorado and New Mexico.

Tetraneuris leptoclada (A. Grav) Greene, Pittonia 3: 269. 1898.
Actinella leptoclada A. Gray, in Torr. Pacif. R. R. Rep. 4: 107. 1857. Tetraneuris mancosensis A. Nelson. Bot. Gaz. 28: 129. 1899. Tetraneuris intermedia Greene, PI. Baker. 3: 29. 1901.
A caulescent cespitose perennial, with a thick woody caudex, with dense tufts of long hairs; stem 2-3 dm. high, sparingly hairy or glabrate, glandular-granuliferous; basal leaves oblanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 6-10 cm. long, 2-7 mm. wide, sparingly hairy or glabrate, conspicuously punctate; involucre about 7 mm. high, 10-12 mm. broad, villous; bracts elliptic; ligules 8-10 mm. long, 3-5 mm. wide; disk-corollas 4 mm. long; achenes 3 mm. long, densely hirsute; squamellae fully 3 mm. long, lanceolate, acuminate into a short awn.
Type locality: Santa Antonita, New Mexico. Distribution: Colorado and New Mexico.

Tetraneuris argentea, the perkysue, is a North American species of plants in the sunflower family. It grows in the southwestern United States, primarily in Arizona and New Mexico with additional populations in Utah, Colorado, and the Texas Panhandle.

Tetraneuris argentea is a perennial herb up to 42 cm (17 in) tall. It forms a branching underground caudex sometimes producing as many as 12 above-ground stems. One plant can produce as many as 30 flower heads. Each head has 8–14 yellow ray flowers surrounding 25-100 yellow disc flowers.