AZ, Sonoran Desert, 20071101
San Simon Valley, flowers. 

Somewhwere near (probably south of) Graham-Cochise County boundary on highway 191, on E side, where hwy narrows to one lane each direction.  Full sunny flat desert roadside community.

Close-up of achene, at 10x. Close-up of achene, at 30x. Close-up of ray and disc fls, at 10x.  Can clearly see that ray fls are pistillate, while disc fls are bisexual. Close-up of invol, at 10x. Sev dried old heads. Sev dried old heads. Plant gone to seed. Invol and old heads. Invol and head in fruit. Perfect fl. 

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia [] 

 GEN herb, well-br'd and bushy, min gl-bristly
 LF alt, lin, 4 pair linmlobes, ~25mm long, sess
 INFL few loose term, head ~20mm wide
 PHYL imbr, tips spread to recurve, scar w v sharp dk green midrib and dk green gl-puber acute tip
invol ~7x6mm, cyl
 RECEPT naked
 RAY 9-10, purple, ellip, 8x3mm, pistillate
 DISC yell, bisex ~15-20
 OV 2mm, d strigose, brown, ovoid curved
 PAP straw, 1 series, subplumose bristles, ~spread, ~3mm, uneven, many

Close-up of section of head, at 10x.  Can clearly see lack of receptacle scales and pappus. Close-up of section of head, at 10x.  Can clearly see that ray fls are pistillate, while disc fls are bisexual. Flower, side view. Flower, rear view. Flower, top view. Flower, rear view. Flower, quarter view. 

Baileya pleniradiata [] 

 GEN herb, v d wh floccose, sev brs near base
 LF oblance, pin lobed, 0-5 lobes, alt but v dense below
 INFL term, solit, v long peduncles
 PHYL two equal rows, floc
invol ~5x50mm, hemisphere
not spread
 RECEPT none
 RAY yell, ~25, ~8-9x5mm, strap, 3 toothed, 2 rows, pistillate (fertile), persistent when dry
 DISC yell, many, min gl, bisex
 OV glab, finely ribbed, angular, ~3mm
 PAP none

Close-up of dried spklt, without glumes, lemma view, at 30x. Close-up of dried spklt, without glumes, side view, at 30x. Close-up of dried glumes, at 30x. Close-up of dried sterile florets, at 30x. Close-up of dried spklts, at 10x. Close-up of dried infl branch, at 10x. Close-up of peduncle at base of infl branch, at 30x.  Shows min puberulence. Close-up of ligule, at 10x. Close-up of ligule, at 30x. Sev dried old infl brs. Dried old plant. Sev dried old infl brs. Sev dried old infl brs. 

Bouteloua barbata? [] 

 GEN bushy grass, many sts
 LF spread 30deg, v narr, 8-x15mm, sheath open
ligule 2mm, ciliate
top of blade v min ant scaber, all else glab
 INFL digitate raceme
fingers 5-7, ascend, secund 15-25mm
xnode 20-30mm
 SPKLT break ab glumes
glumes lower < upper, 1 vein each, glab, keeled, scar
lower lemma scar
veins 3, awned
lat awns 45deg, d lon cil on back and sides bel half
lower palea ~eq lemma, 2 awns
upper fls 3, vestigial, purple, long cilia tuft at base, looks sort of bug-like, long awn at base of each

Flowers. Flowers. Flowers. 

Amaranthus albus [] 

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