Pecos River Skeletonplant

Lygodesmia ramosissima is often confused with the more widespread L. texana; it can be distinguished by its thinner, more intricately branched stems, 5–7 florets per head, sulcate cypselae, and later daily flowering time (A. S. Tomb 1980).

Perennials 25–60 cm (dense bushy clumps); taproots deep, vertical, woody. Stems ascending to erect, pale green, striate, often much-branched from bases and distally, glabrous. Leaves: (basal forming rosettes, sometimes withered and absent at flowering) proximal blades linear. 50–70 × 1–2 mm, entire or sparingly laciniate; cauline 40 mm or less, reduced to scales distally. Heads (1–6), borne singly. Involucres cylindric, 14–21 × 4–6 mm, apices narrow. Calyculi of 8–10, ovate bractlets 2–3 mm, margins ciliate (apices often purple, with small appendages, faces glabrous, sometimes roughened). Phyllaries 5–7, linear-oblong, 16–20 mm, margins scarious, faces glabrous, apices appendaged (often dark). Florets 5–7; corollas lavender, 12–16 mm, ligules 5–6 mm wide. Cypselae 11–14 mm, faces smooth, adaxial weakly sulcate, glabrous ; pappi 11–13 mm. 2n = 18.