Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
golden dyssodia, five-needled prickly leaf
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Botanical Name:
Thymophylla pentachaeta
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Golden dyssodia is a densely branched, spreading subshrub that grows from a woody taproot and achieves a maximum height of 1 foot (1,3). The stems are green or gray green, with a dense covering of fine pubescent hairs (1,3). The leaves are aromatic and arranged oppositely at the base and along the stems; they appear crowded due to the closely spaced intervals at which they appear (1,2,3). The leaves are pinnately lobed, with 3-7 (typically 5) stiff lobes which are linear or filiform in shape, and sparsely hairy, with conspicuous glands (1,2). The flowers, born from April to October, are yellow and arranged into a composite, radiate head that is comprised of both disk and ray flowers; the number of disk and ray florets per head is rather variable, with anywhere from 12 to 21 ray florets, and between 50 and 80 disk florets (1,2). The flowerhead sits above the leaves, on a slender, 2-10 cm long peduncle (1,2). After pollination by bees, the flowers develop into 2-3 mm long, achenes which are linear in shape and black in color, with each possessing a pappus of about 10, 1-3 mm long, irregularly toothed scales; these aid in dispersal (1,2,3).
Compound:
Thy pen
Geographic Origin:
Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Neartic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Golden dyssodia occurs most commonly in desert areas, in limestone soils, on dry slopes, rocky hillsides, mesas, and plains, at elevations of about 1,000 to 6,000 feet (1,2,3). It can be found throughout the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico (1,2,3). These small plants may serve as a source of food and nectar for bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, granivorous birds and small mammals (3). Pollination ecologists with the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation have recognized this plant as one which can attract a great number of native bees (3,7).
Cultivation Notes:
This small and seemingly delicate shrub is tougher than it appears. It prefers full sun exposure, well-draining soil, and requires little to no supplemental water to survive, even in Arizona (5). However, the frequency of supplemental watering can be increased if one wishes to encourage the golden dyssodia to spread and become a more robust component of the landscape (5). Although it can appear stressed at the peak of the summer heat in Phoenix and Tucson, it is very heat tolerant and typically survives into autumn (5). It can be grown as an annual or as a short-lived perennial; the plant develops a woody taproot from which it can resprout (3,5). It reseeds with ease, and it is capable of naturalizing in much of central and southern Arizona (3,5). Seeds germinate readily in Fall or when temperatures dip below 80° F (5).
Ethnobotany:
Kayenta Navajo Native Americans have taken advantage of the odor produced by this plant to prepare a lotion which is used by hunters to mask their scent when hunting deer (8). They have also consumed the plant for use psychologically, as an aid for dreaming of being pursued by a deer (8). Root decoctions have been used as a purgative (3).
Height:
0 - 5 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
