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- Dyssodia papposa
Dyssodia papposa — fetid-marigold
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Facts
Fetid-marigold is a native of the Central United States, and is probably ephemeral in the Northeast. The potential to live up to its common name was noted by C. W. Short in 1837: "This plant is so abundant, and exhales an odor so unpleasant as to sicken the traveler over the western prairies of Illinois, in autumn."
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 15–50 mm
- Flower head width
- 6–14 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bract color
-
- the bracts are colored, or at least tinged with, pink, red or purple
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are two main cycles of bracts
- Bract keels
- the bracts do not have keels
- Bract margins
- there are fine hairs along the bract margins
- Bract outer side hairs
-
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- the bracts appear completely unconnected to one another on all flower heads
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are oblanceolate (widest near the tip, but otherwise narrow and tapering)
- the main bracts are ovate (egg-shaped)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract tip color
- the tips are the same color as the center of the bract
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bract tip shape
-
- the tips of the bracts are obtuse (have a blunt point)
- the tips of the bracts are rounded
- the tips of the bracts are truncate (end abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Bracts
- there are at least two distinct forms of bracts in different cycles
- Disk flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head number
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head position
-
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
- Flower head profile
- the disk is rounded across the top
- Flower head shape
-
- the flower head is hemispherical (like the bottom half of a sphere)
- the flower head is shaped like a cone with the point up
- Flower head width
- 6–14 mm
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 6–10 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- NA
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 7–21
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
-
- the ovary has hairs on it, but the hairs have no glands
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
-
- the ovary has hairs on it
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is another shape
- Peduncle hair type
-
- NA
- the hairs on the peduncles are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly
- Peduncle hairs
-
- the peduncles are hairy
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Peduncle length
- 1–10 mm
- Ray flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- Ray flowers
-
- 1-5
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 1.5–2.5 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Width of flower head base
- 5–10 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 11 or more
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 3–3.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- the pappus hairs are attached to one another near the base
- Seed hair tuft length
- 1–3 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- the pappus hairs are slender
- Seed tuft scale number
- 15–20
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of flat scales that look split or frayed at the tips
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
-
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- NA
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 15–50 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 10–40 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
- the leaf has lobes that themselves have lobes, and these secondary lobes also have lobes; there may be more than three levels of lobes
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has an unpleasant or repellant odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair type
-
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Dyssodia papposa (Vent.) A.S. Hitchc. E
fetid-marigold. Boebera papposa (Vent.) Rydb. ex Britt.; Tagetes papposa Vent. • MA, VT; also reported from ME by Campbell et al. (1995), but specimens are unknown. Wool waste, fields, disturbed soil.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Schkuhria pinnata:
- capitula with 0-2 ray flowers, involcural bracts sometimes with red to purple pigmentation and then this color usually restricted to the apex and margins, and pappus scales dimorphic and not divided at the apex (vs. D. papposa, with capitula with usually 5-8 ray flowers, involucral bracts sometimes with red to purple pigmentation and then this color usually uniformly distributed throughout except sometimes on the midrib, and pappus scales monomorphic and divided at the apex into bristles).
Synonyms
- Boebera papposa (Vent.) Rydb. ex Britt.
- Tagetes papposa Vent.