Annuals, 30-200 cm. Stems glabrous. Leaves: proximal usually persistent at flowering, cauline blades obscurely (1-), 3-, or 5-nerved, mostly narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 40-70 × 2-4 mm, reduced distally. Heads usually in open arrays. Involucres campanulate, 4.5-7.5 mm diam. Phyllary apices conduplicate, swollen (appearing abaxially keeled). Ray florets 8-19; corollas yellow, 5-12 mm. Disc florets (30-)40-60. Cypselae 0.7-2 mm, faces (pebbly or warty with raised, blisterlike oil cavities) glabrous; pappi coroniform, 0.1-0.2 mm (margins entire or obscurely denticulate or erose). 2n = 8.

Flowering Jul-Oct(-Nov). Meadows and clearings in pine, pine-oak, and pine-fir woods, ditches, road cuts, alluvium; 1800-2800 m; Ariz., N.Mex.; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora).

Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Annual, 0.5-2 m, generally herbaceous with glabrous, green stems, sometimes woody near the base.

Leaves: Blades 3-5 nerved, proximal usually persistent at flowering.

Flowers: Heads borne in open arrays, involucres campanulate, large, 4.5-7.5 mm in diameter, phyllaries folded lengthwise in half, appearing swollen and abaxially keeled. Rays yellow, 8-19, discs 40-60.

Fruits: Cypselae 0.7-2 mm, faces with blister-like oil cavities, appearing warty, pappi resembling a crown in shape.

Ecology: Found in alluvium in meadows and clearings in pine and pine-oak or pine-fir woodlands, also in ditches and woodcuts, from 6,000-9,000 ft (1800-2800m); flowers July-October.

Notes: The key to this species is the 3-5 nerved leaves, other species in this genus have 1-nerved leaves. Also look for the warty-looking achenes.

Ethnobotany: Specific use of species unknown, but uses for the genus.

Etymology: Gutierrezia is named for Pedro Gutierrez (Rodriguez), a 19th century Spanish noblemen and botanist, while Wrightii refers to Charles Wright (1811-1885), a naturalist who collected specimens for Harvard.

Synonyms: None

Editor: LCrumbacher 2011