Laphamia staurophylla var. staurophylla (New Mexico Rock Daisy)
Family
ASTERACEAE
Synonyms
LAPHAMIA STAUROPHYLLA BARNEBY
Common Name
New Mexico Rock Daisy
| USFWS | State of NM | USFS | BLM | Navajo Nation | State Rank | Global Rank | R-E-D Code | NMRPTC Status | Strategy Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S3 | G4T3T4 | 1-1-3 | R | SS |
| Overall Conservation Status | Documented Threats | Actions Needed |
|---|---|---|
| WEAKLY CONSERVED | No Information |
Status surveys on abundance, distribution and threats |
Description
Perennial herb from a woody base; stems single to many, 15-40 cm tall; leaves usually alternate, 1.7-3.8 cm long, 1.0-2.5 cm wide, mostly deeply and narrowly three-lobed, somewhat cruciform; flower heads terminal, solitary or in small clusters, somewhat bell-shaped, involucral bracts lance-shaped, about 4-5 mm long; ray flowers 4-8, yellow, to 6 mm long; disk flowers 30-40, yellow, about 3 mm long; achenes dark brown to black, usually bearing two stout awns at the summit. Flowers June to September.
Similar Species
Perityle cornopifolia grows in the same region but has white rays. Perityle staurophylla var. homoflora lacks ray flowers.
Distribution
New Mexico, Dona Ana, Otero, and Sierra counties.
Habitat
Crevices in limestone cliffs and boulders, usually on protected north and east exposures; 1,500-2,100 m (4,900-7,000 ft).
Remarks
Variety staurophylla occurs on the cliffs of several small desert mountain ranges whereas var. homoflora is restricted to the north end of the San Andres Mountains. Both varieties are common in their limited habitats.
Conservation Considerations
The cliffside habitats of this endemic plant offer a great deal of protection from human impacts.
Important Literature
*New Mexico Native Plants Protection Advisory Committee. 1984. A handbook of rare and endemic plants of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.
Barneby, R.C. 1957. A new species of Laphamia from New Mexico. Leaflets of Western Botany 8:168-170.
Niles, W.E. 1970. Taxonomic investigations in the genera Perityle and Laphamia. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 21:1-82.
Powell, A.M. 1973. Taxonomy of Perityle section Laphamia. Sida 5:61-128.
Information Compiled By
Yvonne Chauvin 1999
For distribution maps and more information, visit Natural Heritage New Mexico