Munz’s shrub [For P. A. Munz, 1892–1974, American botanist, and Greek thamnos, shrub]

L. D. Gottlieb

Shrubs, 100–200 cm; probably taprooted. Stems straggly (± fleshy), branched, tomentose to glabrate. Leaves cauline (tufted at ends of branches); petiolate; blades obovate to oblong-obovate, margins irregularly sinuate or lobulate. Heads in paniculiform arrays (at ends of branches). Peduncles not inflated, bracteolate (usually stipitate-glandular). Calyculi of 7–10, unequal, triangular to ovate bractlets (lengths to ¹/2 phyllaries). Involucres cylindric, 3–5+ mm diam. Phyllaries 8–9 in ± 2 series, lanceolate to linear, margins narrowly scarious, apices obtuse to acute (often sparsely arachnose), faces glabrous or sparsely glandular-puberulent. Receptacles ± flat, pitted, glabrous, epaleate. Florets 9–12; corollas rosy to purplish. Cypselae gray-brown, cylindric, apices truncate (not beaked), faces 5, equal, each with 1–2, narrow, longitudinal lines or shallow grooves, otherwise smooth, glabrous; pappi falling, of 25–35 distinct, white, antrorsely barbellate bristles in 1 series. x = 8?

Species 1: California.

Lower Taxon

• Munzothamnus blairii (Munz & I. M. Johnston) P. H. Raven