Gravel ghost
Atrichoseris platyphylla
Color: White
Common name: Gravel ghost
Latin name: Atrichoseris platyphylla
Family: ASTERACEAE
Height: 1-2.5 feet tall.
Description: Heads of white to purple-tinged flowers 1-inch across appear to hover in the air because the stems that support them are tall and thin. Flowers are fragrant and readily withering.
Leaf: Brown spotted, flat and widely oval in shape, leaves grow in a rosette hugging the ground.
Range: Desert.
Habitat: Desert valleys and washes
Elevation: < 1400 m.
Flowering time: Mostly Mar–May
Notes: Annual herb that is native to California to Utah, Arizona. If seen from a distance, the flowers seem to be ghostly and floating, hence the common name gravel ghost.
Photos tips Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert wildflowers This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page to each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
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