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• Asteraceae Group 3
• Palafoxia
• Palafoxia texana

Palafoxia texana — Texas palafox

Facts

Texas palafox is native to Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Mexico. It is not on record as having been collected anywhere else in North America except for Massachusetts, so it's probably safe to say it is highly ephemeral in our region.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), shores of rivers or lakes

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Bract color

  the bracts are colored, or at least tinged with, pink, red or purple

  Bract cycle number

  • there are three or more cycles of bracts
  • there are two main cycles of bracts

  Bract inner side hairs

  the bracts are hairy on their inner surfaces

  Bract keels

  the bracts do not have keels

  Bract outer side hair type

  • the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with hairs having glands (a swelling at the tip of the hair)
  • the bracts are hairy, with simple hairs on their outer surface

  Bract outer side hairs

  • the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
  • the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces

  Bract shape

  • the main bracts are linear (long and very narrow)
  • the main bracts are oblanceolate (widest near the tip, but otherwise narrow and tapering)

  Bract spines

  the bracts have no spines

  Bract texture

  • the bracts appear thin, flexible and nearly translucent
  • the bracts have a similar texture to a leaf

  Bract tip extension appearance

  NA

  Bract tip extension edge

  there are no projections from the bract tips

  Bract tip orientation

  • the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
  • the tips of the bracts curve outwards and downwards from the plant

  Bract tip shape

  • the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
  • the tips of the bracts are obtuse (have a blunt point)

  Bracts

  the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles

  Disk flower color

  • blue to purple
  • pink to red
  • white

  Disk flower lobe number

  5

  Disk flower number

  • 11-20
  • 21-50
  • 6-10

  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 outer flowers

  at the outer edge of the flower head, the flowers have no enlarged lobe or strap, and are of similar size as those in the center of the disk

  Flower head platform

  the base has no bristles or papery scales

  Flower head position

  some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more

  Flower head profile

  the disk is flat or nearly flat 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
  • the sides of the flower head are roughly parallel, like a cylinder

  Flower type in flower heads

  the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers

  Height of flower head base

  3–15 mm

  Inflorescence branching (Solidago)

  NA

  Inflorescence shape

  the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile

  Inflorescence stem

  hairs are present on the stem of the inflorescence

  Number of bracts at flower head base

  8–14

  Ovary cross-section

  the ovary is roughly square or with four corners

  Ovary hair type

  the ovary has hairs on it, but the hairs have no glands

  Ovary hairs

  the ovary has hairs on it

  Ovary profile

  in profile, the ovary is another shape

  Ray flower color

  NA

  Ray flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Ray flowers

  0

  Ray length

  0 mm

  Reproductive system

  some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens

  Smaller bracts at base of bracts

  there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts

  Width of flower head base

  3–15 mm

• Fruits or seeds

  Number of pappus parts

  • 10
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9

  Ovary length in developed fruit

  4–6 mm

  Seed hair tuft length

  2–6 mm

  Seed tuft type

  the pappus is made of flat scales that are not 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 no resin or resin glands

• Growth form

  Growth form

  • NA
  • the plant has one or more free-standing stems

  Plant lifespan

  the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth

  Spines on plant

  the plant has no spines

  Underground organs

  there are only slender roots on the plant

• Leaves

  Hairs on underside of leaf blade

  the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Hairs on upper side of leaf blade

  the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

  Leaf arrangement

  • alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
  • 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

  Leaf blade flatness

  the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges

  Leaf blade hairs

  the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly

  Leaf blade length

  30–80 mm

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
  • the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf

  Leaf blade tip

  • the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
  • the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)

  Leaf blade veins

  the leaf blade has three main veins running from the base towards the tip

  Leaf blade width

  5–20 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
  • the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem

  Leaf tufts in axils

  there are clusters of smaller leaves growing out of axils

  Leaf type

  leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaflet number

  0

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

  Teeth per side of leaf blade

  0

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  Massachusetts

  Specific habitat

  • man-made or disturbed habitats
  • shores of rivers or lakes

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Stem internode hair direction

  NA

  Stem internode hair length

  0 mm

  Stem internode hair type

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

  Stem internode hairs

  the stem has no hairs between the nodes

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae