Palafoxia arida var. gigantea

Giant spanish-needle

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Giant spanish-needle is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in southeastern Imperial County in the Colorado Desert, specifically in sand dunes at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in heads 10 to 20 millimeters in diameter, with large radial corollas 10 to 13 millimeters long. Growing 6 to 12 centimeters tall with nearly hairless stems, it forms an upright, open structure with relatively large flower clusters. Its leaves are 6 to 12 centimeters long, generally smooth and unadorned, arranged along the stem with a sparse, elongated appearance. The plant produces distinctive fruits 12 to 16 millimeters long, giving it a distinctive presence in the sparse desert landscape.

Habitat: Sand dunes

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: DSon (se Imperial Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.