Wyethia scabra Synonym: Scabrethia scabra Family: Asteraceae (A Utah Flora – Compositae) – Sunflower Family Perennial herbs from a taproot; stems 6” to 2' (1.5 to 6 dm) tall or more Leaves: alternate; simple; very rough, stiff hairs; lower leaves 1.2” to 6” (3 to 15 cm) long, 0.12” to 0.68” (3 to 17 mm) wide Flowers: yellow ray flowers and disk flowers; flower head appears to be a single flower, but is composed of several flowers (a composite). 10 to 23 rays, pistillate, fertile are 0.72” to 1.6” (18 to 40 mm) long; yellow disk flowers, perfect Pollinators: other Wyethia species are pollinated by insects Fruits: achene – 1 seeded with hard shell Blooms in Arches National Park: April, May, June Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities; usually in sand Location seen: park road mile 1 to 3, park road mile 4 and 9-10, Delicate Arch road, Salt Valley road Other: The genus name, “Wyethia”, honors Nathaniel Wyeth (1802-1856), a Massachusetts businessman who led two overland expeditions to Oregon in 1832 and 1834. The botanist Thomas Nutall and the ornithologist John Kirk Townsend accompanied the 2nd expedition, during which Nutall named this plant for Wyeth. The species name,”scabra”, means “rough” referring to the texture of the leaves which feel like sandpaper. This family is the most advanced and complex of the dicots. The family is rich in oils and resins and is found in every part of the world, but is infrequent in the tropical rainforest. Aquatic or semi-aquatic species are also uncommon. |
Last updated: February 4, 2023