Dicoria canescens

 Dicoria canescens (desert twinbugs) ( )

Asteraceae

• Annual plants, which must reestablish their populations from seed each yea, would seem to be poorly adapted to surviving in dune habitats. While this is generally true, there are a few annual species that are quite successful on sandy substrates such as dunes. An example of this mode of occurrence is seen in an unusual annual called desert twinbugs which forms thickets of many individuals in the desert sand. Unlike most annuals, it is aided in growth by a strong taproot and reaches heights up tp 2-3 feet. This plant has distinctive long and sharply toothed lower leaves and sharply toothed, contrasted with smaller and rounded upper leaves. Both leaf types are densely covered with white or gray hairs to reflect the sun. Each plant can produce several whitish discoid flower heads which lack ray flowers. These heads often form closely associated pairs, a characteristic which is the origin of "twinbugs". "Califoria Desert Plants, Philip W Rundel, Robert J Gustafson, Michael E Kauffmann."