Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Mysteries Solved #3 - Mystery Bush

My 'Mystery Bush': Burroweed

I have almost identified everything that is a plant of any kind in my yard. I have some grasses to properly identify, and a few little bushes. Here's one of them.
EDIT: and I have identified this, now. Answer at the bottom.

This plant surrounding the cholla
up close of the leaves
up close of the empty used-to-be-seeds

For a long time, there was no positive ID. I had hopes that the Tucson Backyard gardeners might come through for me again, but it took us all a while! At first, there were these suggestions.

Suggestions:
San Felipe Dogweed (Adenophyllum) was suggested, but the leaves don't seem right. (http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/imagelib/imgdetails.php?imgid=18926).

Doesn't seem to be broom snakeweed(Gutierrezia sarothrae).  The leaves are all wrong for that, too. (http://www.nps.gov/sagu/naturescience/upload/Common-Plants-of-Saguaro-NP.pdf
and: http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/taxa/index.php?taxon=3743&taxauthid=1
and: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=GUSA2#)

Same for Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus paniculatus) on the leaves not matching, at least in shape. (http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/chrpan/all.html)

Also not Turpentine Bush(Asteraceae Family, Ericameria laricifolia), either - leaves are also wrong in arrangement here, too, and size seems quite different
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=880)

But then, finally, the Tucson gardening group rocks again!

This looks like it's Isocoma tenuisecta, or burroweed/burro weed. Synonyms possibly: Haplopappus tenuisectusAplopappus tenuisectus  Poisonous to eat, or even have milk from cow's that eat it, ouch!
reference - http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1291/isocoma-tenuisecta-burroweed/
http://wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/gilaflora/isocoma_tenuisecta.html

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