Common names:
Hairy-seed bahia, silverleaf bahia
Family:
Scientific name:
Bahia absinthifolia
Main flower color:
Range:
South Arizona, south New Mexico and west/south Texas
Height:
Up to 16 inches
Habitat:
Hillsides and plains; sandy or gravelly locations, between 2,500 and 5,500 feet
Leaves:
Grey/green, divided once or (less commonly) twice, into oblong or lanceolate lobes
Season:
March to November
Leaves of bahia absinthifolia are quite distinctive owing to their grey-green color, caused by a dense covering of short, fuzzy hairs, lying against the surface. Stems grow upwards or at an angle. Leaves are mostly opposite but can be alternate higher up the stem. Leaf surfaces are often dotted with small glands. Flowerheads have 8 to 14 (or more) yellow disc florets around a center of 60 to 120 orange-yellow ray florets. Phyllaries (12 to 16) are about a third of an inch long, mostly green but yellowish at the tip, and also covered by short hairs. Heads measure up to 1.5 inches in diameter.
Plants inhabit desert locations and bloom for most of the year. They are commonly seen along roadsides.
Plants inhabit desert locations and bloom for most of the year. They are commonly seen along roadsides.
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