Plains Blackfoot
Melampodium leucanthum
Illustrated from specimen observed at Castle Hot Springs, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA. 16 March 1992.
FLOWERS:
Daisies opening white then fading to delicate lavender as they age. A healthy
plant may have fifty or more flower heads creating a truly beautiful bouquet.
Flowering mostly in spring, but also at other times of year, moisture
permitting.
ACHENE: The three-angled seeds (called
achenes and pictured at left) have a distinct collar and transverse
ridges.
PERENNIAL: The above ground stems die back after drought or killing
frost; the long-lived crown and root stock regrow year after year.
RANGE: A fairly common plant above 800 m
where the Sonoran Desert is giving way to chaparral or grassland.
LEAVES: Leaves elyptic with a few broad teeth on margins.