Arizona Naturalists >>> Sonoran Desert Naturalist >>> Field Guide >>> Sonoran Desert Flora >>> Purple, Lavender, Red Asteraceae p.1 >>> p. 2

Sonoran Desert Pink and Purple Sunflowers

Annuals to long lived perennial. Some shrubs. Leaves various shapes. Ray and or disc flowers in various shades of red, purple, lavender, violet. Flowers compound arranged in compact heads.

Wire Lettuce/ Desert Straw

Stephanomeria pauciflora

Odora

Porophyllum gracile

Pen & Ink Illustration © by Mike Plagens

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

Porophyllum gracile photo © by Mike Plagens

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

Tansey-leaf Tansey-Aster photo © by Mike Plagens

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

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New Mexico Thistle

Cirsium neomexicanum

San Felipe Marigold

Adenophyllum porophylloides

Photo © by Mike Plagens

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

Pen & Ink Illustration © by Mike Plagens

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

Pen & Ink Illustration © by Mike Plagens

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

Pen & Ink Illustration by Mike Plagens

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

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Copyright Michael J. Plagens, 1999-2011