Pericome caudata explained

Pericome caudata is a North American species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name mountain tail-leaf.

Description

It is a large, branching, leafy perennial herb or subshrub approaching 2m (07feet) in maximum height. It is glandular, resinous, sparsely hairy, and aromatic. The leaves are somewhat triangular, sometimes with a few large teeth or sharp lobes, the blade measuring up to 12cm (05inches) long and borne on a petiole. The leaf size and shape is variable across the species' range.[1]

The inflorescence is a cluster of many flower heads each under a centimeter wide and filled with golden yellow disc florets.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to the southwestern United States as far east as Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas, as well as northern Mexico, where it grows in rocky habitat, often in hills and mountains, and sometimes in disturbed areas.

Uses

The Navajo used this plant for a variety of medicinal and ceremonial purposes.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=220010146 Flora of North America
  2. http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Pericome+caudata Ethnobotany