Sonoran Desert Pink and Purple Sunflowers

Wire Lettuce/ Desert Straw

Stephanomeria pauciflora

Odora

Porophyllum gracile

Common shrub or perennial often with numerous arching wiry stems. Stems may be nearly leafless. Flowers appear almost throughout the year. Detailed Description

Narrow, smooth stems and leaves highly odiferous. Narrow heads with faintly pink or purple flowers. Low, mostly herbaceous perennial. Common. Detailed Description

Tansey-leaf Tansey-Aster

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia

Purple aster on herbaceous plant with dissected leaves. Common in upper elevations of Sonoran Desert blooming especially in fall. Detailed Description

New Mexico Thistle

Cirsium neomexicanum

San Felipe Marigold

Adenophyllum porophylloides

Herbaceous perennial growing usually with just one stem from tap root. and with spiny leaves. Large pink or pale lavender heads. Upper Sonoran Desert habitat on rocky slopes or at roadsides. Blooming mid spring. Detailed Description

Flower head tall with maroon and orange disc flowers. Fairly common on wash banks and rocky slopes blooming in mid to late spring. Pinately disected leaves. Intense terpene odor when crushed.  Detailed Description

Coulter's Brickell Bush

Brickelia coulteri

Little-leaf Brickell Bush

Brickelia scabra

Common undershrub found especially along wash banks and in partial shade on rocky slopes. Tips of phyllaries are maroon to purplish - otherwise flowers are not showy. Conspicuous white pappus on mature seed heads. Detailed Description

Similar to Coulter's Brickell Bush but leaves very small. Conspicuous white pappus on mature seed heads. Northwest portions of the Sonoran Desert where it merges with the Mojave Desert. Detailed Description