WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

Slender stems, 1–3-feet tall with branching above, produce a single flower on branch tips. Note the thread-like leaves and rose-pink to violet flowers, petals with 3 coarse teeth, and a yellow center.

FLOWER: June–August. Single 1-inch wide (25 mm) flower heads on 4–12-inch long (10–30 cm) stems (peduncles) at branch tips; 8 petal-like rays pink, violet, or white, 1/4–3/8-inch long (6–9 mm), with 3 coarse teeth, disk florets yellow; beneath the flower 8 spreading outer phyllaries, 1/4–3/8-inch long (6–9 mm), have green to black lines and tapering tips; inner phyllaries shorter and tightly clasp the head.

LEAVES: Opposite. Blades 1–2 1/2-inches long (25–65 mm) divided into numerous thread-like segments.

HABITAT: Semi-moist sandy, gravelly, loam soils, riparian or drainage areas, meadows, roadsides; pinyon-juniper, ponderosa/yellow pine-Douglas fir forests.

ELEVATION: 4,500–8,800 feet.

RANGE: AZ, CO, NM, TX.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Escaped Garden Cosmos, C. bipinnatus, has white to red flowers with rays 5/8–1 1/2-inches long (15–30 mm).

NM COUNTIES: Western 2/3 of NM in mid-elevation, semi-moist habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Dona, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Mora, Otero, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance, Valencia.