Mohave Desert Star
Monoptilon bellioides
Photo taken at KOFA Mts., Yuma Co., Arizona. This photo is also hosted in full resolution at Wikipedia.
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RANGE: Fairly common throughout the lower elevations of the Sonoran
Desert particularly on 'desert pavement'.
SIZE/FORM: This dwarf annual grows prostrate to the soil rarely reaching
more than a few centimeters tall or in circumference.
FLOWERS: Although the inflorescence consisting of dozens of smaller
flowers is barely the size of a dime, by comparison to the whole plant, it is
huge, approaching the diameter of the whole plant. The ray flowers are white in
color but may turn pink or even light blue with age. The disc flowers are
yellow. Each of the rays and each of the yellow bumps on the disc are separate
flowers. Flowering occurs early to late spring only in years with adequate
rainfall.
FRUIT: Each floret of the composite flower develops into a
single-seeded fruit, or achene.