Malacothrix (plant) explained

Malacothrix is a genus of plants in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae.^{[1] [2]} They are known generally as desert dandelions or desertdandelions. Most are native to western North America although a few have been introduced to South America. Several are found only on offshore islands in the Pacific.^[3]

Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that Malacothrix is not monophyletic. Some of its species are related to Atrichoseris, whereas a second group is more closely related to Anisocoma and Calycoseris.^[4]

Species

1. Malacothrix californica - California desertdandelion - CA Baja California, Baja California Sur
2. Malacothrix clevelandii - Cleveland's desertdandelion - CA AZ UT Baja California
3. Malacothrix coulteri - snake's head - CA NV AZ UT NM Baja California
4. Malacothrix fendleri - Fendler's desertdandelion - AZ NM TX Sonora
   1. Malacothrix floccifera - woolly desertdandelion - CA NV Malacothrix foliosa - leafy desertdandelion - San Clemente Island
5. Malacothrix glabrata - smooth desertdandelion - CA NV AZ NM ID OR Baja California, Baja California Sur
   1. Malacothrix incana - dunedelion - CA Malacothrix indecora - Santa Cruz Island desert-dandelion - Santa Cruz Island
6. Malacothrix insularis - island desertdandelion - Coronados Island in Baja California
7. Malacothrix junakii - Junak's desertdandelion - Anacapa Island
   1. 1. Malacothrix phaeocarpa - Davis' desertdandelion - CA Malacothrix saxatilis - cliff desertdandelion - CA Malacothrix similis - twin desertdandelion - CA Baja California
      2. Malacothrix sonchoides - sowthistle desertdandelion - OR ID WY CO NM AZ UT NV CA Malacothrix sonorae - Sonoran desertdandelion - Sonora AZ NM TX Malacothrix squalida - Santa Cruz desertdandelion - Santa Cruz Island
      3. Malacothrix stebbinsii - Stebbins' desertdandelion - OR CA NV AZ NM UT Sonora Malacothrix torreyi - Torrey's desertdandelion - CA NV AZ NM UT CO WY ID MT OR Malacothrix xanthi - Baja California, Baja California Sur

External links

• USDA PLANTS
• The Jepson eFlora 2013

Notes and References

1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/7156#page/197/mode/1up Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de. 1838. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 7(1): 192
2. http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40012591 Tropicos, Malacothrix DC.
3. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=119518 Malacothrix.
4. Lee, J., et al. (2003). Phylogenetic relationships among the primarily North American genera of Cichorieae (Compositae) based on analysis of 18S-26S nuclear rDNA ITS and ETS sequences. Systematic Botany 28(3), 616-26.