Packera tridenticulata X neomexicana, first seen May 8, photo above June 1, 2020
Common & scientific names
Threetooth ragwort, Packera tridenticulata X New Mexico groundsel, P. neomexicana
Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae
Location
Weller Curve, elevation 9,000’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
This flower is most likely a cross, i.e, a hybrid, between the two species named above, with its basal leaves having three lobes (“teeth”) and the plant having a hairy, cobwebby appearance overall (like the neomexicana species). The Packera genus’s family, the Sunflower family, is considered the most highly evolved of all flowering plants: what appears to be one “flower” actually consists of many tiny flowers aggregated together in a flower head consisting most commonly of ray flowers (the “petals”) and disk flowers (the “button” in the middle). This aggregation strategy is thought to attract more pollinators.