Species: Picradeniopsis oppositifolia (Nutt.) Rydb. ex Britt.

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Picradeniopsis oppositifolia (Nutt.) Rydb. ex Britt.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Asteraceae or Compositae

Genus:

Picradeniopsis

Species Synonyms:

Bahia oppositifolia (Nutt.) Gray

Common Names:

oppositeleaf bahia
plains bahia

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southwestern Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Divide – Nashlyn, Grasslands National Park

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

dry clay soils in grasslands

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Oppositeleaf bahia is endangered because it is highly regionally restricted in the province and most local populations are small. This species faces threats such as occurring in heavily populated areas, fragile habitats, and planned developments.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 20 cm

Roots:

laterally creeping rhizome; taproot

Stems:

woody persistent stem base may be present; stems solitary to several, very leafy, herb-subshrub, short-hairy with soft, white hairs, glandular-dotted

Leaves:

opposite, divided in threes, ultimate divisions 1 – 3 mm wide and linear-lance-shaped, hairs soft and white, margin entire

Inflorescence:

heads 1 – 6, 1 – 1.5 cm broad; bracts 7 – 9 in 2 series, 4 – 8 mm long, 1 – 4 mm wide, lance-shaped to oval, dark green, hairs white

Flowers:

ray flowers 4 – 7, to 4 mm long, female, fertile, yellow; disc flowers 30 – 40, perfect, fertile

Fruits:

achene distinctly glandular; pappus scales 8 – 9, 3 – 5 mm long, oval, midrib indistinct halfway up scale

ASTERACEAE WITH RADIATE HEADS AND NAKED RECEPTACLE IN SASKATCHEWAN
There is only one species of Picradeniopsis in Saskatchewan.

1 Pappus of capillary bristles	2
1 Pappus of scales	6

2 Bracts in 1 series	Senecio
2 Bracts in several series	3

3 Disc pappus double	Heterotheca
3 Disc pappus single	4

4 Taproots, leaves often somewhat spine-tipped	Haplopappus
4 Fibrous roots, leaves not spine-tipped	5

5 At least some of the leaves glandular-dotted	Euthamia
5 None of the leaves glandular-dotted	Solidago

6 Yellow-brown oil glands on leaves and bracts	Dyssodia
6 No coloured oil glands (may be stalked glandular)	7

7 Leaves opposite	Picradeniopsis
7 Leaves alternate (lower leaves may be opposite)	8

8 Pappus of 2 deciduous awns, bracts sticky	Grindelia
8 Pappus of scales, bracts not sticky (except in Gutierrezia)	9

9 Bracts reflexed	10
9 Bracts not reflexed	11

10 Receptacle naked, heads < 35 mm, all flowers yellow	Helenium
10 Receptacle with setae, heads > 35 mm, disc flowers purple, rays with purple bases	Gaillardia

11 Heads 3 – 5 mm tall, many, bracts sticky-glandular	Gutierrezia
11 Heads > 5 mm tall, bracts not glandular	12

12 Lower leaves opposite, seeds long (4 times as long as wide)	Bahia
12 All leaves alternate, seeds short (< 4 times as long as wide)	Hymenoxys