Monoptilon

Torrey & A. Gray

Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 106, plate 13, figs. 1–6. 1845.

Common names: Desertstar
Etymology: Greek monos, one, and ptilon, soft feather, alluding to pappus of M. bellidiforme, a solitary plumose bristle
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 20. Treatment on page 210. Mentioned on page 11.
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 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA20 P22 Chaetopappa ericoides.jpegChaetopappa ericoides
Chaetopappa asteroides var. asteroides
Monoptilon bellidiforme
Barbara Alongi
Barbara Alongi
Barbara Alongi

Annuals, 1–5 cm, herbage hispido-hirsute (hairs long, white), minutely glandular; taprooted. Stems prostrate to decumbent (radiating from base), simple or branched. Leaves basal and cauline; alternate; petiolate; blades 1-nerved, oblong to oblanceolate-spatulate, margins entire (apices rounded to obtuse). Heads radiate, borne singly (usually immediately subtended and surrounded by distal leaves). Involucres campanulate, 4–6 × 6–7 mm. Phyllaries 10–14 in 1 (–2) series, appressed (purple-tipped), 1-nerved (midnerves raised-indurate, evident only in proximal 1/2; proximally convex, not keeled), linear-lanceolate, equal, margins herbaceous or scarious, faces hirsute. Receptacles flat, pitted, epaleate. Ray-florets 12–21, pistillate, fertile; corollas white or rose or purple-tinged (strongly coiling). Disc-florets 28–40, bisexual, fertile; corollas yellow (with prominent orange veins), tubes much shorter than narrowly tubular-funnelform, lobes 5, reflexed, lanceolate; style-branch appendages obtuse to truncate. Cypselae (brownish) obovoid, compressed, 2-ribbed, faces sparsely strigose; pappi persistent, in (1–) 2 series, short-toothed cups plus 1 apically plumose bristle or 8–15 inner, tawny white, barbellate, apically attenuate bristles plus outer of short, laciniate paleae. x = 8.

Distribution

sw United States, n Mexico

Discussion

Species 2 (2 in the flora).

Both species of Monoptilon are decumbent to prostrate, hispid annuals with campanulate involucres, white coiling rays, obovoid compressed cypselae, and chromosome number of 2n = 16. The genus was placed by G. L. Nesom (1994) as sister to Chaetopappa.

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Stems yellow-green; phyllary margins herbaceous; disc corollas loosely strigose proximally; pappi scarious cups 0.1–0.4 mm plus 1 apically plumose bristle usually equaling disc corollas Monoptilon bellidiforme
1 Stems often prominently reddish purple; phyllary margins proximally with sharply delimited, white-scarious portions, lacerate-ciliate at base; disc corollas glabrous or nearly so; pappi outer crowns of paleae or narrow squamellae 0.5–1 mm plus 8–15 barbellate inner bristles, length 1/3 – 1/2 disc corollas Monoptilon bellioides
... more about "Monoptilon"
not tailed +, rounded +  and obtuse +
distinct +
subequal +
scarious +
usually triangular +  and linear +
usually deltate +  and lanceolate +
spiciform +, racemiform +, paniculiform +  and corymbiform +
indeterminate +  and determinate +
Guy L. Nesom +
Torrey & A. Gray +
decurrent +
oblong;oblanceolate-spatulate +
rugulose +  and muricate +
barbellulate +  and barbellate +
Desertstar +
not 2-lipped +  and actinomorphic +
yellow +, purple-tinged +, rose +  and white +
8 +  and 15 +
short-toothed +
compressed +  and obovoid +
fertile +  and bisexual +
fertile +  and bisexual +
sw United States +  and n Mexico +
Greek monos, one, and ptilon, soft feather, alluding to pappus of M. bellidiforme, a solitary plumose bristle +
strigose +  and hirsute +
pistillate +, staminate +  and neuter +
winged +  and beaked +
dispersed +
indeterminate +
heterogamous +  and homogamous +
hispido-hirsute +
each +  and sessile +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
campanulate +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
cauline +  and basal +
lanceolate +
scarious +  and herbaceous +
2-carpellate +
laciniate +
persistent +
linear-lanceolate +
Boston J. Nat. Hist. +
bearing subulate enations +, hairy +  and bristly +
concave;usually flat;conic +
exalbuminous +
branched +  and simple +
prostrate +  and decumbent +
prostrate +  and ascending +
obtuse +  and truncate +
appendaged +  and truncate +
papillate +  and smooth +
Compositae +
Monoptilon +
Asteraceae tribe Astereae +
much shorter than narrowly tubular-funnelform +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
tree +, shrub +  and subshrub +