Stemless Four Nerve Daisy

Tetraneuris acaulis is a North American species of flowering plants in the sunflower family.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]} Common names include angelita daisy,^[8] stemless four-nerve daisy,^[9] stemless hymenoxys,^[4] butte marigold,^[10] and stemless rubberweed.^[10]

Description

T. acaulis is a highly variable perennial herb^[2] which may be quite tiny to over 60 centimeters (2 feet) in height. The erect stems are surrounded by basal leaves.^[11] The leaves are up to 7.5 cm (3 in) long,^[11] hairy or hairless, and glandular or without glands. It flowers from June to September.^[11][4][5] There may be few or many flower heads borne singly on hairy stalks. The base of each flower head is up to 1.6 cm (5⁄8 in) wide. The head contains 8 to 21 yellow ray florets each up to 2 cm (3⁄4 in) long. At the center are many yellow disc florets, sometimes 200 or more. The fruits are dry achenes only a few millimeters long.^[7] Some plants may have no ray florets.^[11]

Varieties

It is generally accepted that there are four varieties of this species:^[7][12]

• Tetraneuris acaulis var. acaulis: stemless four-nerve daisy – Alberta, Saskatchewan, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Chihuahua, Zacatecas
• Tetraneuris acaulis var. arizonica: Arizona four-nerve daisy – Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah
• Tetraneuris acaulis var. caespitosa: caespitose four-nerve daisy – Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming
• Tetraneuris acaulis var. epunctata: stemless four-nerve daisy – Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Coahuila
• Tetraneuris acaulis var. nana: stemless four-nerve daisy – Utah^{[9][13][14][15]}

Distribution and habitat

The species is widespread across much of the western and central United States, west-central Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan) and northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Zacatecas).^[16][4][12] It grows in a variety of habitat types in foothills and subalpine regions,^[5] and high prairie, badlands,^[4] and plains.^[2]

Uses

Tetraneuris acaulis has been used as a traditional medicinal plant. The Hopi used a poultice of the plant to relieve hip and back pain in pregnant women, and to make a stimulating drink.^[17]

References