This 2–5-foot tall, rounded, bushy plant with woody stems stands out with evergreen, filament-like leaves and long-stemmed, golden flower heads. Note the deep-green, aromatic foliage, and flower heads with 10–18, deeply-veined rays.

FLOWER: March–October with spring and summer rains. The 3/4–1 1/2-inches wide (20–38 mm) flower head blooms on a leafless stem (peduncle) up to 8-inches long (20 cm) and has 10–18 golden-yellow, petal-like rays, each long 1/4–1/2-inch long (7–12 mm). Disk flowers yellow.

LEAVES: Alternate, sometimes opposite. Blades filament-like, 1–4 1/4-inches long (2.5–6 cm) with 3–9 lobes to 3/16-inch wide (5 mm).

HABITAT: Dry, rocky, sandy soils; desert grasslands and scrub.

ELEVATION: 3,000–7,800 feet.

RANGE: NM, TX.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Plateau Goldeneye, V. dentata, in so. and cen. NM, is a tall herbaceous plant with broad triangular to elliptical, pointed leaves.

NM COUNTIES: Southern and ne corner of NM in low- to mid-elevation, arid habitats: Chaves, Colfax, Dona Ana, Eddy, Lincoln, Otero, Quay, Sierra, Torrance, Union.