Xylorhiza orcuttii (Orcutt’s aster)

Xylorhiza orcuttii (Vasey & Rose) Greene

Orcutt’s aster, Orcutt’s woody aster, borego aster, mojave aster

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Asterales	Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
Family	Asteraceae	The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
Genus	Xylorhiza	Woodyasters, from the Greek for “woody root”
Species	orcuttii	Named for naturalist Charles Russell Orcutt

About plant names...

Orcutt’s aster is an endangered species native to California and Baja California in Mexico.

Identification: This aster is a smooth-stemmed shrub less than 5' (1.5 m) in height. Leaves are variable: oblong or lance-shaped, ¾-2" (2-6 cm) x ⅛-1" (5-26 mm), with smooth or spiny edges. Light blue flowers are about 1-2½" (3-7 cm) in diameter, composed of 25-40 rays around a yellow center. (The yellow center is itself composed of 55-140 tiny flowers.) Fruits are ¹/₁₆-⅛" (3-4 mm) in size, surrounded by a bristly pappus up to ⅜" (1 cm). Plants are found in arid canyons at elevations of 66-984' (20-300 m).

Online References:

Xylorhiza orcuttii on sandiegosierraclub.org

Xylorhiza orcuttii on the US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management in California

Xylorhiza orcuttii on CalPhotos

Xylorhiza orcuttii from the Jepson Manual

Xylorhiza orcuttii at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Aster orcuttii Vasey & Rose

Machaeranthera orcuttii (Vasey & Rose) Cronquist & D.D. Keck

Xylorhiza orcuttii description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 24 × 19" (62 × 48 cm)

Range:

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