Carnegiea gigantea, Giant Saguaro

Southwest Desert Flora

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

Cirsium ochrocentrum, Yellowspine Thistle

Palafoxia arida var. arida, Desert Palafox

Desert Palafox has white, light pink or flesh colored flowers, with few to many flowering heads depending on winter rainfall. Palafoxia arida var. arida Desert Palafox flower heads have tubular disk tubular florets only (no ray florets). The flower heads are surrounded by long pointed glandular bracts and the fruit a cypsela; seeds wind-borne. Palafoxia arida var. arida Desert Palafox has slender green stems with oil glands (difficult to see in photo). Palafoxia arida var. arida Desert Palafox has green or gray-green leaves that are rough to the touch from dense stiff white hairs as shown here. Palafoxia arida var. arida Desert Palafox prefers elevations from sea Level to 2,000 feet (0-610 m). Habitat preferences include sandy plains, mesas, washes, dunes, and creosote-bush (Larrea) communities. Palafoxia arida var. arida

Scientific Name: Palafoxia arida var. arida
Common Name: Desert Palafox

Also Called: Desert Needle, Spanish Needles

Family: Asteraceae, Sunflower Family

Synonyms: ()

Status: Native

Duration: Annual

Size: 3 to 5 feet (90-150 cm) or more; 6 feet (1.8 m) tall.

Growth Form: Forb/herb; taproot; plants upright; stems with rough stiff hair; note glands on stems and flowers in top photograph.

Leaves: Green, gray-green, leaves rough to the touch from dense stiff white hairs as shown above; leaf shape is narrow or linear.

Flower Color: White, light pink or flesh colored, flower heads few to many depending on yearly rainfall; flower heads with disk tubular florets only; flower heads surrounded by long pointed glandular bracts; fruit a cypsela; seeds wind-borne.

Flowering Season: January, February or March through September, October or November

Elevation: Sea Level to 2,000 feet (0-610 m)

Habitat Preferences: Sandy plains, mesas, washes, dunes and creosote-bush (Larrea) communities. Desert Palafox prefers elevations from sea Level to 2,000 feet (0-610 m). Habitat preferences include sandy plains, mesas, washes, dunes, and creosote-bush (Larrea) communities. Palafoxia arida var. arida

Recorded Range: Desert Palafox is native to both the Mojave and Sonoran Desert Eco-regions of California and the southwestern United States in AZ, NV, CA, UT and north and central Baja California as well as northwest Mexico, Sonora.

North America & US County Distribution Map for Palafoxia arida var. arida.

North America species range map for Desert Palafox, Palafoxia arida var. arida:

North America species range map for Desert Palafox, Palafoxia arida var. arida: Click image for full size map.
Click image for full size map

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

Genus Information: In North America there are 11 species and 19 accepted taxa overall for Palafoxia. Worldwide, The Plant List includes 12 accepted species names and a further 17 scientific names of infraspecific rank for Palafoxia.

In the Southwestern United States: Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah each have 1 species of Palafoxia, New Mexico has 2 species and Texas has 7 species. All data approximate and subject to revision.

There are 2 varieties in Palafoxia arida, Desert Palafox
Palafoxia arida var. gigantea, Giant Spanish Needle, (AZ, CA);
Palafoxia arida var. arida, Desert Palafox, (AZ, CA, NV, UT).

Comments: Desert Palafox was originally classified as Palafoxia linearis which is a Mexican species also called Desert Palafox, but one that does not reach as far north. Perhaps additional research will provide insight into the relationship between these two species, if in fact they are separate species.

Be aware that Palafoxia arida and Palafoxia arida var. arida and Palafoxia arida var. gigantea share the common name Desert Palafox.

In Southwest Desert Flora also see: Desert Palafox, Palafoxia arida and Giant Spanish Needles, Palafoxia arida var. gigantea.

Importance to Wildlife, Birds and Livestock
Desert Palafox, Palafoxia arida var. arida small showy white and pink tubular disk florets, their seeds and plants may be visited by hummingbirds and small mammals including rodents and granivorous birds in search of food, nectar, shelter and protection through cover.

Beneficial Value to Butterflies, Bees and Insects
Desert Palafox, Palafoxia arida var. arida small showy white and pink tubular disk florets and their plants may be visited by butterflies, moths and other insects in search of nectar and/or other food.

Etymology:
The genus Palafoxia is in honor of perhaps Josè Rebolledo de Palafox y Melzi (1776-1847), Duke of Saragossa. However, a paper published by Hervè M. Burdetin suggests that the first choice name was originally to honor and commemorate Juan de Palafox y Mendoza (1600-1659), who was a bishop and founder of the University of Mexico. The paper further suggests this is so because the other Palafox, Josè Regolledo de Palafox y Melzi became a national hero and the attribution was transferred to him.

The species epithet "arida" means "growing in dry places" or "dry land".

Ethnobotany
Desert Palafox, Palafoxia arida is used as a dye by southwestern United States indigenous peoples.
  • Cahuilla Dye, Yellow; Used as a yellow dye.

    • See complete listing of ethno-botanical uses at Native American Ethnobotany, University of Michigan, Dearborn.
    Date Profile Completed: 09/11/2020
    References:
    Kearney, Thomas H., Peebles, Robert H., 1960, Arizona Flora, University of California Press, Berkley and Los Angeles, California; as Palafoxia linearis.
    U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service on-line database and USGS ITIS search - (accessed 09/10/2020)
    https://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch
    The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed 09/10/2020).
    http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Compositae/Palafoxia/
    David J. Keil 2012, Palafoxia arida var. arida, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, /eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=8000, accessed on September 11, 2020.
    Native Plant Information Network, NPIN (2013). Published on the Internet http://www.wildflower.org/plants/ - (accessed 09/11/2020). Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas, Austin, TX.
    https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PAARA
    John L. Strother,FNA; Asteraceae; Palafoxia 5. Palafoxia arida B. L. Turner & M. I. Morris, Madroño. 23: 79. 1975. Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. 16+ vols. New York and Oxford.
    Seiler, John, Peterson, John, North American species range map courtesy of Virginia Tech, Dept. of Forest Resources & Environmental Conservation
    http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/
    SEINet synonyms, scientific names, geographic locations, general information.
    http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/
    Etymology:Michael L. Charters California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations; A Dictionary of Botanical and Biographical Etymology - (accessed 02/03/2020)
    http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pagePA-PH.html
    http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/pageAN-AZ.html