Benitoa

D. D. Keck

Leafl. W. Bot. 8: 26. 1956.

Etymology: For San Benito County, California, alluding to distribution
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 20. Treatment on page 450. Mentioned on page 3, 9.

Annuals, mostly 10–100 cm (taprooted). Stems erect, branched distally, stipitate-glandular (at least distally). Leaves cauline (at flowering); alternate; sessile or petiolate (bases of blades ± decurrent onto petioles); blades 1(–3+)-nerved, oblanceolate to linear (sessile, smaller, bractlike distally), margins entire or nearly so, faces stipitate-glandular. Heads radiate, borne singly or in open, corymbiform to paniculiform arrays. Involucres ± campanulate to turbinate or fusiform, (8–10 ×) 3–5 mm. Phyllaries 22–35+ in (4–)5–6+ series, 1-nerved (flat), lanceolate to linear, unequal, herbaceous to ± cartilaginous, margins scarious, apices (slightly spreading to nearly squarrose) some or all bearing a tack-shaped gland. Receptacles flat, pitted, epaleate. Ray florets 5–8(–13+), pistillate, fertile; corollas yellow (occasionally suffused with red, becoming revolute). Disc florets 9–20+, functionally staminate; corollas yellow, tubes about equaling funnelform to campanulate throats, lobes 5, erect, lance-deltate; style-branch appendages lanceolate. Cypselae (mottled purple-brown) ± plumply clavate, ± triquetrous, 3-nerved, faces sericeous; pappi readily falling (fragile), of 2–8 whitish, subulate, barbellate scales (flattened bristles) in 1 series. x = 5.

Discussion

Species 1.