Texas Gardening: Texas Native Plant Pictures by color ( Purple ), 1 by htop

htop wrote:
Skeleton Plant, Purple Dandelion, Milk pink and Flowering Straw (Lygodesmia texana), Asteraceae Family, Texas native, perennial, blooms late spring to early fall

It grows in the western 2/3 of Texas. It does not grow in north east Texas, but does grow from Beaumont southward along the coastal region. It is interesting because by the time the buds form, the basal leaves wither and die and the upper leaves are just scales. The plant looks as though something has eaten all of the leaves. Bees love it and butterflies use it as a source of nectar.

For further information, see its entry in the PlantFiles: http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59966/index.html

The 1.5 to 2 inch bloom has erect dark lavender or purple striped styles.