Leaves: lanceolate, to about 8 inches. Covered with tiny bumps, each with a bristle.
Flowers: Blooms in the spring. Flowers tubular, yellow, with red spot inside.
Seeds:
Habitat: Dry, rocky, gravel soils.
Elevation: To about 7,000 feet.
Distribution: Western US to Central America.
Comments: The dried spines are nasty. When the plant dries, the tiny hairs dry to become spines -- some of the most irritating things in the desert because they get in your skin, eyes, and clothes before you know it, and then they are difficult to remove. When walking through a field of dried Bristly Fiddleneck, the dried hairs break off and swirl in the breeze around you, flowing up your pants and into your eyes. It is best to avoid them when possible. |