Erect, branching stems reach 7–27-inches tall topped with tight clusters of yellow flowers enclosed in angled, keel-like phyllaries. Note the bases of the opposite leaves clasp but don’t unite around the stem.

FLOWER: July–November. Flat-topped clusters with 12–40 small, yellow flower heads at branch tips; 3 leaf-like inner bracts 1/4-inch long (6 mm), and 2 smaller leafy outer bracts 1/8-inch long (3 mm) beneath each flower head. Each flower head has 0 –1 tiny ray florets, 5–6 disk florets, all enclosed in 3 elliptic, angled, keel-like phyllaries.

LEAVES: Opposite, sessile. Blades linear to lance-shaped, 1 1/4–3 1/2-inches long (3–9 cm); the base slightly clasps the stem; margins weakly toothed, tips pointed.

HABITAT: Moist alkaline, saline, gypseous soils; lake and stream sides, spring seeps disturbed areas; desert flats.

ELEVATION: 3,700–5,000 feet.

RANGE: CO, KA, NM, NV, OK, TX.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Clasping Yellowtops, F. chlorifolia, in se NM, has leaves with entire margins and bases that wrap around the stem. Clustered Yellowtops, F. trinervia, mainly in southern NM, has spherical flower clusters in forks of stem.

NM COUNTIES: Low- to mid-elevation moist, alkaline habitats: Bernalillo, Cibola, Chaves, Colfax, Dona Ana, Eddy, Guadalupe, Roosevelt, San Juan, Sandoval, Socorro, Valencia.