Grand Canyon Blazingstar

Description

Plants perennial, bushlike, with subterranean caudices or rhizomes. Stems multiple, erect or decumbent, zigzag; branches along entire stem, all - equal, antrorse, upcurved; hairy. Leaves: blade 16-31 - 3.9-9.2 mm, widest intersinus distance 3--8.3 mm; proximal oblanceolate to elliptic, margins entire or dentate, teeth 0-4(-6), perpendicular to leaf axis, 0.2-1.3 mm; distal oblanceolate to elliptic, base not clasping, margins entire or dentate, teeth 0-4, perpendicular to leaf axis, 0.4-2 mm; abaxial surface with simple grappling-hook (occasionally absent) and complex grappling-hook trichomes, adaxial surface with complex grappling-hook and needlelike trichomes. Bracts: margins entire. Flowers: petals white, 9-15 - 1.8-2.4 mm, apex rounded to acute, glabrous abaxially; stamens white, 5 outermost petaloid, filaments narrowly spatulate, slightly clawed, 7.1-13 - 0.5-1.4 mm, with anthers, second whorl with anthers; anthers twisted or straight after dehiscence, epidermis papillate; styles 4.8--7.3 mm. Capsules cup-shaped, 4.5-8(-13) - 4.5-7 mm, base rounded, not longitudinally ridged. Seeds: coat anticlinal cell walls straight, papillae usually 6-9 per cell. Flowering May-Nov. Loose, rocky soils primarily on steep, degraded slopes, less frequently on stream bottoms, Muav limestones and Bright Angel shales; 800-1600 m; Ariz.