Chaetopappa bellidifolia (A. Gray & Engelm.) Skinn., hairy lazy daisy. Annual, slender–taprooted, not rosetted, 1–stemmed at base, with a terminal head and arising below it several spreading, flowering branches diverging near midplant, in range 12.5—30 cm tall; shoots with basal leaves (to 35 mm long) and cauline leaves, pubescent with somewhat stiff hairs and also tiny, stalked glandular hairs.
Stems cylindric, to 2 mm diameter, with nonglandular and glandular hairs.
Leaves helically alternate, simple and petiolate (basal and lower cauline leaves) and sessile but not clasping (mostly cauline leaves and bracts), without stipules; petiole flattened top–to–bottom, to 15 mm long, flared at base, short–hairy and glandular hairy; blade obovate to elliptic or oblanceolate, 8.5— < 25 × 1.5—10 mm, tapered to long–tapered at base, entire, acute at tip, with 1 midrib raised on lower surface, surfaces strigose–hirsute to short–hirsute with an undercover of shorter, stalked glandular hairs having minute heads.
Inflorescence heads, solitary or several in cymelike array in canopy, head radiate, (5.5—)8—10.5 mm across, of 5—13 pistillate ray flowers and 8—22 disc flowers, disc flowers mostly bisexual but in center of disc 1 or 2 wider flowers functionally staminate and overtopping other disc flowers, bracteate; bract subtending peduncle leaflike; peduncle slender, 15—38 mm long, green, inconspicuously ridged approaching involucre, conspicuously short–strigose with minute glandular hairs in under cover, lacking bracts at top (calyculus); involucre at anthesis ± bell–shaped, (3—)4 × (1.5)—2.5 mm, of 7—13 phyllaries in 2—3 series, outer 2—3 phyllaries often ovate, to or below midpoint of involucre, other phyllaries wide–lanceolate to elliptic, ± 3 × 1.4 mm, green and 1–veined with wide membranous margins and short point at tip, upper midvein and sometimes point purplish red, glabrous but membranous surfaces sometimes with minute glandular hairs; receptacle essentially flat, lacking bractlets (paleae), lacking pits, glabrous.
Ray flower bilateral, mostly 1.4—2 mm across; calyx (pappus) = a light green ring forming a rim on the top of ovary, lacking obvious scales and bristles; corolla minutely 2–toothed or 3–toothed, 4.5—6 mm long; tube cylindric, ± 1 × 0.3 mm, green or pale green to white, glabrous; limb ± elliptic, 3.5—5 × 1.1—2.4 mm, lavender to light lavender–pink or almost white to bluish, paler on lower surface, glabrous, aging coiling under; stamens absent; pistil 1, 2.5—3.2 mm long; ovary inferior, cylindric–oblanceoloid, 0.65—0.7 × 0.25—0.3 mm, light green finely veined, with inconspicuous short hairs including several minute glandular hairs, 1–chambered with 1 ovule; nectary disc at top of ovary surrounding narrow base of style; style exserted 0.5—1.2 mm, in bud green aging white, 2–branched, the stigmatic branches slender, in many flowers tips of stigmas above disc flowers and anthers.
Bisexual disc flower radial, < 1 mm across, 2.5—3 mm long; calyx (pappus) = a light green ring forming a rim on the top of ovary, lacking obvious scales and bristles; corolla 5–lobed, having some minute stalked glandular hairs; tube ± cylindric, ca. 0.35 mm long, green to white; throat narrowly funnel–shaped, light yellow; lobes triangular, 0.25— 0.4 mm long, light yellow, not regularly oriented where interfered by other flowers; stamens 5, arising at top of corolla tube; filaments ca. 0.5 mm long, greenish; anthers fused into cylinder surrounding style, basifixed, dithecal, ca. 1 mm long including ovate appendages at tip, sacs light yellow, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen pale yellow; pistil 1, 2.5—3.2 mm long; ovary inferior, cylindric–oblanceoloid, 0.65—0.7 × 0.25—0.3 mm, light green finely veined, with inconspicuous short hairs including several minute glandular hairs, 1–chambered with 1 ovule; nectary disc at top of ovary surrounding narrow base of style, ca. 0.05 × 0.1 mm, greenish; style included, in bud green aging white, 2–branched, the stigmatic branches appressed.
Staminate disc flower radial, 1.5 mm across, 4 mm long with expanded portion overtopping and concealing adjacent disc flowers; calyx (pappus) = a light green ring forming a rim on the top of ovary, lacking obvious scales and bristles; corolla 5—6–lobed, having minute stalked glandular hairs on outer surface; tube cylindric, 0.3 mm long, colorless; throat narrowly funnel–shaped, light yellow, 1 mm diameter at orifice and in face view widely separated from anthers, with 5 slightly raised veins to sinuses; lobes spreading, triangular, ca. 0.4 mm long, light yellow; stamens 5, arising at top of corolla tube; filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, colorless; anthers fused into cylinder surrounding style, basifixed, dithecal, ca. 1 mm long including ovate appendages at tip, sacs light yellow, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen pale yellow; pistil 1, sterile; ovary inferior, 0.3 mm long, pale green, minutely ribbed, chamber vestigial; nectary disc at top of ovary surrounding narrow base of style, ca. 0.05 × 0.1 mm, greenish; style erect with tip exserted 0.5 mm from anthers, white, lacking obvious branches.
Fruits cypselae (achenes), of ray flowers and bisexual disc flowers, ellipsoid to oblanceoloid drying compressed side–to–side, mostly 1.7—2 × 0.5 mm, brown, with (8)10 ribs, short–strigose with upward–pointing hairs along ribs, having minute sculpturing between ribs; pappus at top of cypsela = a persistent, opaque ring ca. 0.1 m long, lacking obvious series of bristles and scales.
A. C. Gibson