Facelis

Annuals, 3–30 cm (taprooted or fibrous-rooted, not stoloniferous). Stems usually 1, erect to decumbent. Leaves cauline; alternate; sessile; blades spatulate or oblanceolate to lance-linear, bases ± cuneate, margins entire (usually revolute), faces bicolor, abaxial gray, tomentose, adaxial green, glabrous. Heads disciform, usually in ± capitate to loose, spiciform arrays, rarely borne singly (in leaf axils). Involucres narrowly ovoid or nearly cylindric [campanulate or broadly turbinate], 8–11 mm. Phyllaries in 3–5+ series, usually greenish to stramineous, sometimes purplish (hyaline, stereomes not glandular), unequal, chartaceous toward tips. Receptacles flat, smooth, epaleate. Peripheral (pistillate) florets 10–25 (more numerous than bisexual); corollas whitish to purplish. Inner (bisexual) florets 3–5; corollas white to purplish. Cypselae obovoid, ± compressed (2–3-nerved), faces silvery sericeous (hairs not myxogenic); pappi persistent, of 20–30+, distinct or basally connate, ± plumose bristles in 1 series. x = 14.

Distribution

North America, South America, Africa, Australia.

Discussion

Species 3 or 4 (1 in the flora).

Selected References

Beauverd, G. 1913. Le genre Facelis Cassini (emend. Beauverd). Bull. Soc. Bot. Genève, sér. 2, 5: 212–220.

Lower Taxa

Facelis retusa