Desert Chicory
Rafinesquia neomexicana
The Desert Chicory is a weak-stemmed member of the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) is smooth, gray-green in color and grows 6 to 20 inches tall. Sparsely leafed; leaves around the base are 2 to 8 inches long, with upper leaves much smaller.
Range
Mojave and Sonoran deserts from southeastern California and southern Texas to the tip of west Texas and south throughout Arizona, New Mexico and into northern Mexico.
Habitat
Gravel and sandy desert flats, often in the shade accompanying shrubs from 200 to 3,000 feet.
Flowers
White flower heads, 1 to 1-1/2 inches wide, composed of rays as long as 5/8 of an inch, bloom March through May.
-- A.R Royo
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo 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 for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
Related DesertUSA Pages
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- 7 Smartphone Apps to Improve Your Camping Experience
- Maps Parks and More
- Desert Survival Skills
- How to Keep Ice Cold in the Desert
- Desert Rocks, Minerals & Geology Index
- Preparing an Emergency Survival Kit
- Get the Best Hotel and Motel Rates
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The Desert Environment
The North American Deserts
Desert Geological Terms
