Lygodesmia doloresensis

Lygodesmia doloresensis is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Dolores River skeletonplant. It is native to a small area of Colorado and neighboring Utah in the United States.[1] This species is sometimes considered a variety of Lygodesmia grandiflora.[2]

Lygodesmia doloresensis

Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Asterales
Family:
Asteraceae
Genus:
Lygodesmia
Species:
L. doloresensis
Binomial name
Lygodesmia doloresensis
S.Tomb

This plant is a perennial herb producing an erect, branching stem up to 30 centimeters tall. The leaves are threadlike to linear and measure up to 14 centimeters in length. The flower heads contain five ligulate florets in shades of lavender or pink to white.[2]

This plant grows in juniper shrublands and grasslands on alluvial sandstone soils. It is found at only three sites. It grows in the Dolores River Canyon in Colorado and the Colorado River Canyon in Utah. Its habitat is heavily grazed by cattle, and the plant is only found in spots where the animals cannot graze, such as clumps of prickly pear.[3]

References
  1. Lygodesmia doloresensis. The Nature Conservancy.
  2. Lygodesmia grandiflora var. doloresensis. Flora of North America.
  3. Lygodesmia doloresensis. Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.


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