Yerba de tajo

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Yerba de tajo

Yerba de tajo

Yerba de tajo inflorescence

Yerba de tajo leaves

Yerba de tajo inflorescence

Yerba de tajo

Morphology

Stem

Erect or decumbent, sometimes ascending from spreading base, usually branched, sparsely to densely pubescent, especially near tip, base sometimes glabrous, longitudinally ridged.

Leaves

Opposite, simple, short-stalked or sessile, lanceolate to lance-linear, .8 to 4 inches long, 1/6 to 1.2 inch wide, thin, dark green, 1- or 3-nerved; surfaces sparingly pubescent; margins entire or finely toothed; tip tapering to sharp point, lower or early leaves sometimes rounded; base tapered, bases of upper leaves somewhat clasping stem.

Inflorescence

Heads solitary or 2-3 in small clusters, small, inconspicuous, 1/6 to 2/5 across, terminal or in axils, short- to long-stalked; involucre hemispheric, bracts 10-12, in 1 or 2 series, nearly equal or inner bracts slightly shorter.

Flower

Ray florets 20-40, inconspicuous, slender, 1/25 to 1/8 inch long; disk florets 15-100+, corollas white, 4-toothed.

Fruit

Achene, wedge-shaped to triangular, 1/12 to 1/10 inch long, thick, straw-colored to brown, surface warty, pappus absent or minute crown, enclosing one seed.

Ecology

Habitat

Moist, open disturbed sites, stream and river banks, lake and pond shores, seeps, marshes, ditches, gardens, fallow fields, muddy sites; sandy soils.

Distribution

Principally east 2/3 of Kansas, scattered in west

Reproduction

By seeds

Practical Information

Uses

Introduced to India where it was used to create a black dye for hair coloring and tatooing.

Additional Notes