Thelesperma megapotamicum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Thelesperma |
Species: | T. megapotamicum |
Binomial name | |
Thelesperma megapotamicum | |
Synonyms | |
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Thelesperma megapotamicum is a perennial, herbaceous (or slightly woody), flowering plant in the Asteraceae family native to sections of the Americas. It is known by the common names Hopi tea greenthread, rayless greenthread, Navajo tea, cota, and greenthread (a name it shares with other species in the genus).
Thelesperma megapotamicum is a perennial herb or subshrub that grows between 20 to 80 cm (7.9 to 31.5 in) tall. The leaves are mostly opposite, and are pinnately divided into linear to filiform lobes 2-4 cm long and up to 2.5 mm wide. The inflorescence bears several flower heads each in a cuplike involucre of phyllaries with purple-tinged, pointed lobes with white edges. The head contains many yellow or orange disc florets, and sometimes one or more yellow ray florets, although these may be absent. The cypselae are 5-8 mm long and are topped with two barbed awns each about 2 mm long. [2] [3]
The plant usually flowers from April to October. [3]
Thelesperma megapotamicum is native to the portions of the central and southwestern United States (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming), northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila), and some countries in South America. [3]
It is introduced into portions of the United States (California, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, and possibly Oregon). [4] [1] According to the USDA Plants database, it is also introduced into Montana and Indiana. [5]
In North America, the plant grows in disturbed places in sand or clay, oak or juniper woodlands, desert scrub or yellow pine forests at elevations of 300 to 2,900 m (980 to 9,510 ft) from sea level. [3]
As of December 2024 [update] , the conservation group NatureServe listed Thelesperma megapotamicum as Secure (G5) worldwide due to the species occurring in a large variety of habitats and having no apparent vulnerabilities. This status was last reviewed on 31 May 2023. [1]
At the individual state level in the United States, it is listed as Secure (S5) in Texas, Apparently Secure (S4) in Wyoming, Vulnerable (S3) in South Dakota, and Critically Imperiled (S1) in Utah. In the NatureServe database, the species is not assessed at any conservation level in any other state across its range. [1]
Thelesperma megapotamicum was first described by Curt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel in 1826 under the name Bidens megapotamica. In 1898, Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze renamed the species to Thelesperma megapotamicum (its currently accepted name) in the Revis. Gen. Pl. publication. [6]
The species name, megapotamicum means "of the big river". [2] In English, it is known by the common names Hopi Tea greenthread, [7] rayless greenthread, Navajo tea, Cota, and greenthread. [8]
Native American groups such as the Hopi and Navajo use this plant to make herbal teas, as a medicinal remedy and a yellow dye. [9] The Hopi name for this plant is hohoysi. The plant can be boiled whole until the water turns a rusty color and used as a tea. In addition, the Hopi people also add the plant, along with water, into large glass jars and place in the sun to make sun tea. [10]
It is known as izeets'ósé in Apache.
Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineappleweed, wild chamomile, disc mayweed, and rayless mayweed, is an annual plant native to North America and introduced to Eurasia where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides. It is in the daisy family Asteraceae. The flowers exude a chamomile/pineapple aroma when crushed. They are edible and have been used in salads and to make herbal tea.
Tripleurospermum inodorum, common names scentless false mayweed, scentless mayweed, scentless chamomile, and Baldr's brow, is the type species of Tripleurospermum. This plant is native to Eurasia, and introduced to North America, where it is commonly found in fields, fallow land and gardens.
Thelesperma filifolium, commonly known as stiff greenthread, or plains greenthread, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae. It is often found growing in shallow soils. It prefers disturbed sites in dry, sandy or gravelly soil with a neutral to basic pH. Stiff greenthread adapts to various soil conditions, including loam, clay, caliche, and roadsides. It generally flowers from March to August, sometimes into October.
Physocarpus, commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America and northeastern Asia.
Machaeranthera is a genus of North American flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which are known by the common name tansyaster.
Erigeron inornatus is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California rayless daisy, California rayless fleabane, rayless fleabane, Lava rayless fleabane
Layia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae known generally as tidy tips, native to western North America. Several are California endemics.
Thelesperma is a genus of North American and South American plants in the cosmos tribe within the sunflower family. Greenthread is a common name for plants in this genus.
Solidago nemoralis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to North America, where it is widely found in Canada and the United States. Its common names include gray goldenrod, gray-stem goldenrod, old-field goldenrod, field goldenrod, prairie goldenrod, dwarf goldenrod, and dyersweed goldenrod.
Pericome caudata is a North American species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name mountain tail-leaf.
Stanleya pinnata is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known as desert prince's-plume. It is a perennial herb or shrub native to North America.
Proatriplex is a monotypic plant genus in the subfamily Chenopodioideae of the family Amaranthaceae, with the only species Proatriplex pleiantha. It is known by the common names four-corners orach and Mancos shadscale. It occurs in the Navajo Basin of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
Bigelowia nuttallii is a species of North American flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to the southern United States.
Bigelowia nudata, the pineland rayless goldenrod, is a species of North American flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the coastal plain of the southeastern United States.
Deinandra kelloggii, Kellogg's spikeweed or Kellogg's tarweed, is a North American species of plant in the tribe Madieae within the family Asteraceae. It is native to Baja California, southern and central California, and Arizona.
Ericameria watsonii, or Watson's goldenbush, is a North American species of flowering shrubs from the family Asteraceae. It is native to the states of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona in the southwestern United States.
Erigeron velutipes is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names delicate fleabane and Chihuahuan fleabane.
Thelesperma subnudum, commonly known as Navajo tea, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found from west central Canada to central United States. It grows in openings in pinyon/juniper or yellow pine forests.
Thelesperma nuecense, the Rio Grande greenthread, is an annual species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is native to Texas.
Thelesperma longipes, commonly called the longstalk greenthread, is a perennial herb or subshrub in the Asteraceae family. It is found from Arizona to northeast Mexico.