Southwest Colorado Wildflowers, Chaenactis

Chaenactis' mass of finely cut leaves usually draws our attention first, for Chaenactis flowers are small, rayless, and inconspicuously light white, cream, or yellow. But a close look at the flower shows its intricacy and beauty and makes it special with wildflower enthusiasts.

"Chaenactis" is from the Greek "open or gaping rays", and refers to the enlarged floral tube of the ray flowers in some Chaenactis species.

Synonym: Chaenactis alpina. Chaenactis douglasii variety alpina. (Alpine Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Meadows, scree. Summer.
Colorado Trail near Kennebec Pass Trail, August 12, 2004.

Alpine Chaenactis flowers are on short stems just above the finely cut, fern-like leaves; the entire plant is low mounded to over a foot across. It grows only above tree-line on finely broken rocky slopes. Although Chaenactis alpina is not abundant, you will find that once you have spotted one plant you will almost always find a number of others nearby.

Synonym: Chaenactis alpina. Chaenactis douglasii variety alpina. (Alpine Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Meadows, scree. Summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, August 19, 2008.

In the center of the photograph, mature seeds are starting to fall, and the rest of the plant shows the reds of autumn beginning.

Synonym: Chaenactis alpina. Chaenactis douglasii variety alpina. (Alpine Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Subalpine, alpine. Meadows, scree. Summer.
Colorado Trail near Kennebec Pass Trail, August 12, 2004.

Chaenactis douglasii (Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer.
Mesa Verde National Park, Prater Ridge Trail, June 3, 2004.
Mesa Verde National Park, Prater Ridge Trail, May 9, 2007.

Chaenactis douglasii, about 8 to 12 inches tall, has tiny button-like cream-to-yellow flower heads composed of only disk flowers. These surmount a tall narrow leaf stalk with dwarf, deeply incised leaves. The basal leaves are similar to the stalk leaves but much larger.

Chaenactis douglasii basal leaves can be confused with those of Hymenopappus filifolius.

Intermountain Flora notes that Chaenactis douglasii is " a widespread, complex, highly variable species.... A formal key would give a misleading impression of precision."

"Douglasii" honors David Douglas (of Douglas Fir fame), acclaimed 19^th century Scottish botanist and explorer. Douglas collected this plant near the Great Falls of the Columbia River, probably in the late 1820s and it was described and named for him by William Jackson Hooker in his 1833 Flora Boreali-Americana. (More biographical information.)

Chaenactis douglasii (Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer.
Mesa Verde National Park, Prater Ridge Trail, June 3, 2004.

Chaenactis douglasii (Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Foothills. Woodlands, openings. Spring, summer.
Mesa Verde National Park, Prater Ridge Trail, June 15, 2006.

Ray flowers mature to white seeds that dry and expand into a large, spherical, sparkling seed head which attracts more attention than the original flower.