Carnegiea gigantea, Giant Saguaro

Southwest Desert Flora

Home to the plants of the Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mojave Deserts

Cirsium ochrocentrum, Yellowspine Thistle

Viguiera stenoloba, Resinbush

Resinbush has yellow or yellow-orange flowers; the numerous floral heads bloom on tips of long leaf-less stalks. Viguiera stenoloba Resinbush bracts or phyllaries that surround the floral heads are abruptly narrowed from broad bases as shown here. Viguiera stenoloba Resinbush has a flowering season that runs from May or June to September or October; this species prefers elevations between 2,500 to 6,000 feet; (762-1,829 m). Viguiera stenoloba Resinbush has dark green leaves that are mostly narrowly linear; note in the photo that the edges are rolled over (revolute) and look like a mid-stem. Viguiera stenoloba Resinbush or Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye grows up to 4 feet (122cm) tall or more. Habitat preferences are: desert or semi-desert areas, dry, rocky sites, prefers well drained soils including; sand, loam, clay, caliche and limestone. Viguiera stenoloba

Scientific Name: Viguiera stenoloba
Common Name: Resinbush

Also Called: Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye

Family:Asteraceae, Sunflower Family

Synonyms: (Heliomeris tenuifolia, Viguiera stenoloba var. chihuahuensis, Viguiera stenoloba var. stenoloba)

Status: Native

Duration: Perennial

Size: 2 to 4 feet (61-122 cm), or more; 6 feet (1.8 m).

Growth Form: Shrub or subshrub; numerous branches, top rounded over.

Leaves: Green, dark green; leaves mostly narrowly linear; note the edges of the upper leaves are rolled over (revolute) and look like a mid-seam; leaves with or without a supporting stalk (sessile or sub-sessile); arranged either alternate or opposite along stem; leaves exude aromatic oils.

Flower Color: Yellow, yellow-orange; floral heads in singles, (solitary); numerous flowers on tips of a long leaf-less stalk (inflorescence); flowering heads with both ray and disk florets; bracts or phyllaries that surround the floral heads are abruptly narrowed from broad bases; fruit is a cypsela.

Flowering Season: May or June to September or October

Elevation: 2,500 to 6,000 feet; (762-1,829 m)

Habitat Preferences: Desert or semi-desert areas, dry, rocky sites, prefers well drained soils including; sand, loam, clay, caliche and limestone. Species is locally common and the dominant shrub in parts of Texas in the Trans-Pecos and Rio Grande Plains and less-common in the western part of Edwards Plateau.

Recorded Range: Resinbush, Viguiera stenoloba is rare in the United States where it is found only in NM and TX. However, it is native and common to northeastern Mexico in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Viguiera stenoloba.

U.S. Weed Information: Unknown
U.S. Wetland Indicator: Unknown
U.S. Threatened/Endangered Information: Unknown
U.S. Invasive/Noxious Weed Information: Unknown

Genus Information: In North America there are 9 species and 9 accepted taxa overall for Viguiera Worldwide, The Plant List includes 153 accepted species names and a further 57 scientific names of infraspecific rank for Viguiera.

The genus Viguiera was published in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, (1707-1778).

In the Southwestern United States: Arizona, New Mexico and Texas each have 4 species of Viguiera, California has 3 species, Nevada has 2 species and Utah has 0 species. Data approximate, subject to revision.

Comments: Resinbush or Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye is a rounded-over bush with numerous showy daisy-like flowers that is used as a desert landscape species in AZ, NM, TX; they are extremely drought tolerant and withstand hot summer days.

Members of the genus Viguiera are commonly called "Goldeneyes".

In Southwest Desert Flora also see: Longleaf False Goldeneye, Heliomeris longifolia, which this species looks a little similar to and is somewhat related to.

Importance to Wildlife, Birds and Livestock
Resinbush, Viguiera stenoloba has showy daisy-like flowers, the flowers, their seeds and plants may be visited by hummingbirds and/or small mammals including rodents and granivorous birds in search of food, nectar and protection through cover.

Known to be utilized as browse for certain species; also serves as seed food for granivorous birds; also provides cover and nesting sites; information from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (citation below).

Beneficial Value to Butterflies, Honey Bees and Insects
Resinbush, Viguiera stenoloba has showy daisy-like flowers, the flowers and their plants may be visited or used by butterflies, moths, flies, honeybees, native bees and other insects in search of nectar, food or shelter and protection.

Known to attract; nectar-bees, nectar-butterflies, nectar-moths and nectar-insects; information from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (citation below).

Etymology:
The genus “Viguiera” (Viguier'a:) was named after Louis Guillaume Alexandre Viguier (1790-1867), a French physician and botanist.

The genus Viguiera was published in 1818 by Karl (Carl), Sigismund Kunth, (1788-1850).

The species epithet “stenoloba” (stenolo'ba:) means narrow-lobed, a reference to the narrowly linear leaves.

Ethnobotany
Unknown

Date Profile Completed: 12/19/2020
References:
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service on-line database and USGS ITIS search; accessed 12/19/2020.
https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=VIST
The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/; accessed 12/19/2020.
http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Compositae/Viguiera/
Edward E. SchillingFNA | Family List | FNA Vol. 21 | Asteraceae; Viguiera; 3. Viguiera stenoloba S. F. Blake, Contr. Gray Herb. 54: 97. 1918.; Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford.
Native Plant Information Network, NPIN (2013). Published on the Internet http://www.wildflower.org/plants/; accessed 12/19/2020. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas, Austin, TX.
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=VIST
Aggie-Horticulture, Ornamental Plants Skeleton-leaf Goldeneye, Golden Bush Daisy, Viguiera stenoloba; (accessed: 12/19/2020)
https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/viguierastenol.htm
SEINet synonyms, scientific names, geographic locations, general information.
http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/
Wikipedia contributors, 'Viguiera', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 April 2020, 12:34 UTC,
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Viguiera&oldid=951703148 [accessed 19 December 2020]
Etymology:Michael L. Charters California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations; A Dictionary of Botanical and Biographical Etymology - (accessed 12/19/2020)
http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pageV.html
http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pageSI-SY.html
IPNI (2020). International Plant Names Index. Published on the Internet http://www.ipni.org, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens. [Retrieved 19 December 2020].
https://www.ipni.org/?q=Verbesina