Encelia resinifera

Encelia resinifera, the sticky brittlebush, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

Distribution

The species is found at elevations between in the states of Arizona and Utah, in the Southwestern United States. It grows in soils derived from sandstone.

Description

Encelia resinifera is a shrub ranging in height from. The trunk, which becomes fissured with age, supports slender stems.
The leaves, which range between 10 and 25 mm in length, are ovate or lanceolate and are usually pointed at the tips.
The yellow flowerheads are borne singly, appearing between May and July in their native range. These have 8-13 ray florets.

Subspecies

Two subspecies have been identified:

Encelia resinifera subsp. resinifera — button brittlebush.
Encelia resinifera subsp. tenuifolia C.Clark — found in the Grand Canyon area. It has both leaves and ray laminae with a length that is more than three times their width.

Taxonomy

Encelia resinifera was originally described as a variety of Encelia frutescens by M.E.Jones in 1913. In 1998 it was reclassified as a distinct species by Curtis Clark.