Palmleaf Mistflower
Conoclinium dissectum
Male Queen and Monarch butterflies are intensely attracted to this plant to consume its alkaloids, which they convert into pheromones to attract mates.
- Scientific name
- Conoclinium dissectum
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Conoclinium
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Chihuahuan desert grasslands, rocky limestone slopes, canyon bottoms, and riparian edges.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, absorbing water and nutrients from limestone-rich soils)
- Range
- Texas, New Mexico, Coahuila, Chihuahua
- Size
- 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) tall
- Lifespan
- Perennial (3 to 5+ years)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, urbanization, and excessive herbicide spraying along roadsides.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and safe to approach closely. This plant is non-toxic to touch, but avoid ingesting any parts of it. Be mindful of the numerous bees, wasps, and butterflies that visit the flowers, as they may sting if disturbed.
Conoclinium dissectum , the palm-leaf mistflower or palmleaf thoroughwort , is a North American species of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to northern Mexico (Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Zacatecas) and the southwestern United States (Arizona, Texas, New Mexico).
Photo: Leticia Jiménez Hernández, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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