Narrow-leaved wire lettuce (Stephanomeria tenuifolia) is a perennial herb in the aster family.
- It grows up from a stout branching taproot.
- It may have thick, creeping roots.
- From a woody base, the stems have many branches.
- There are no basal leaves and the stem leaves are narrow, almost like threads.
- The inflorescence has 5 pinkish ray flowers, resembling petals of a single flower. Numerous terminal flowers are produced in a season.
- Shared here are photos by the author, mostly taken in the hills around the valley. Click an image for a lightbox view.
- After flowering, seeds form with feathery-parachutes for wind dispersal.
- Stephanomeria is often spotted in the grasslands and open forests in the hills rising out of the Interior valleys.
- There are a number of annual and perennial species of Stephanomeria, many of which are found south of BC, extending down to Mexico.
- We are always pleased to find Stephanomeria in flower on a dry hillside after other perennial species have finished flowering.
- Eflora BC – Stephanomeria
- More Wildflowers
