Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
odora, slender poreleaf
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Botanical Name:
Porophyllum gracile
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The slender poreleaf is a small perennial shrub growing only to about 2 ft in height. This plant produces multiple stems on a single plant. Each stem is glaucous and glabrous, blue-grey in color and smooth. The branches are slender and ascending. Leaves are about 2 inches in length (1,2,3). Each leaf is simple, with an entire margin, and greenish in color with a blue-grey glaucous cast. This species is strongly scented with leaves producing a strong, (many people say, foul!) odor (2,3,4). The inflorescences is a cyme with 20-30 flowers each on a slender peduncle. The corolla of the flower is less than ½ inch in length. The <½ inch long oval fruit produced is dry, indehiscent, and dull, white to brown color. The pappus is about 1/3 of an inch in length (2,3).
Compound:
Por gra
Geographic Origin:
Desert Southwest
Ecozone Origin:
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The slender poreleaf is native to the regions of northern Mexico and the southwestern US from Texas to California. It grows in sandy, rocky soils in desert scrub landscapes (1,2,4). This species is found growing below 4,000 ft of elevation. The largest population of slender poreleaf is growing in AZ, CA, and NV (2,3,5). _Porophyllum gracile_ is from the Greek , “poro” meaning porous, and “phyllon” meaning leaves, referring to the gland-dotted leaves. Many Native Americans have called this species xtisil. The word gracile comes from graceful or slender, a reference to the plant shape (2).
Cultivation Notes:
The slender poreleaf is an excellent addition to a native garden. However, this plant is not highly cultivated. They can be propagated by seed only (1,2,3).
Ethnobotany:
The slender poreleaf has many medical uses. A root decoction has been used as a regulator of delayed menstrual cycles. All the plant parts have been used to help relieve intestinal disorders. Another decoction of the pounded plant is used to relieve the ache of rheumatic joints and other pains. Also, another decoction is applied as a limit to the body and is used to wash sores out. Many native American tribes use tea from the plant leaves to treat colds and aid in childbirth (2). The plant is also useful as a landscape ornamental plant. Its showy blooms make up for the relative simplicity of the rest of the plant. It also attracts many different insects and small birds, including hummingbirds (1,2). This plant can even attract small rodents. If in need of a pollinator and native plant, this is a perfect fit (5).
Height:
0 - 5 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
White
Function:
Habitat
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
