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Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Shrubs Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)

General: Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) is a small, upright shrub with fairly large leaves and solitary yellow flowerheads (single composite flower) atop stalks that stand above the leaves. The flowers are composites, but appear as 6-petaled, yellow flower that dries to a papery-tan color. The dried flowers tend to stay on the plant into the winter.

Paperflower generally is an uncommon component of vegetation communities, although it can be locally abundant on well-drained sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils along washes and on upper bajadas and moderate slopes into the lower mountains in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.

Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae).

Other Names: Paper flower, paper-flower.

Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)

Plant Form: Small, upright shrub.

Height: About shin-high (1 to 2 feet).

Bark: Densely hairy, white.

Stems: Several upright, spreading stems.

Leaves: Linear, entire, 1/2 to 3 inches, white hairy

Flowers: Blooms late spring and then again as late as late November if conditions are right. Inflorescence: solitary yellow flowerheads (single composite flower) atop stalks that stand above the leaves. Flowers: usually 6 ray flowers giving the appearance of a 6-petaled flower; "petals" with two notches forming three lobes. About 10-15 disk flowers forming a small center. Phyllaries long, single-ranked, and fuzzy.

Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)

Seeds:

Habitat: Dry, well-drained sandy, gravelly, and rocky soils along washes and on upper bajadas and moderate slopes in the lower mountains.

Elevation: 500 to 5,000 feet.

Distribution: California to Utah and Arizona, south into northern Mexico.

Comments: The flowers are unusual in that they dry on the plant and tend to persist into the winter.

Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Few flowers during drought years
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Few flowers during drought years
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi) Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Long, single-ranked fuzzy phyllaries
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Long, single-ranked fuzzy phyllaries
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Ray flowers (petals) fold back before drying
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Mix of fresh (yellow) and drying (white) flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Paperflower with mix of fresh (yellow) and drying (white) flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Paperflower with mix of fresh (yellow) and drying (white) flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Late-spring Paperflower with mix of fresh (yellow) and drying (white) flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Late-spring Paperflower with mix of fresh (yellow) and drying (white) flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Late-spring Paperflower with drying flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Late-spring Paperflower with drying flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Late-spring Paperflower with drying flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Late-spring Paperflower with drying flowers
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Dried Paperflower flowers retain petals and general shape
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Dried Paperflower flowers retain petals and general shape
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Dried Whitestem Paperflower in fall
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Dried Whitestem Paperflower in fall
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Dried Whitestem Paperflower in fall
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Dried Whitestem Paperflower in fall
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Yellow is gone, but dried flowers in fall retain petals and general shape
Whitestem Paperflower (Psilostrophe cooperi)
Yellow is gone, but dried flowers in fall retain petals and general shape

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
copyright; Last updated 220811

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