Common name:
Nakedstem sunray
Family:
Scientific name:
Enceliopsis nudicaulis
Main flower color:
Range:
Nevada and Utah, and small areas of adjoining states
Height:
Up to 15 inches
Habitat:
Washes, canyons, hillsides; up to 6,500 feet
Leaves:
Dull grey-green, ovate, up to 2.5 inches long, on stalks
Season:
April to August
As its common name (nakedstem sunray) suggests, leaves of enceliopsis nudicaulis grow only around the base; the stout, unbranched, light green stems rise well above the leaves, each topped by a single yellow flowerhead. Flowers have between 20 and 35 yellow ray florets (usually around 21), up to 1.5 inches long, and a center of many yellow/orange disc florets.
The ovate to lanceolate phyllaries underneath the flower head are broad at the base, gently pointed at the tips, and arranged in three to five overlapping rows. Those in the lower row tend to bend outwards while the others remain pressed against the involucre. Stems, leaves and phyllaries have an even covering of short, soft, spreading hairs. Stems are woody at the base. Var corrugata has corrugated leaf margins, and is found only in the vicinity of Ash Meadows NWR in south Nevada.
The ovate to lanceolate phyllaries underneath the flower head are broad at the base, gently pointed at the tips, and arranged in three to five overlapping rows. Those in the lower row tend to bend outwards while the others remain pressed against the involucre. Stems, leaves and phyllaries have an even covering of short, soft, spreading hairs. Stems are woody at the base. Var corrugata has corrugated leaf margins, and is found only in the vicinity of Ash Meadows NWR in south Nevada.
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