Pericome caudata

Pericome caudata A. Gray

By Frankie Coburn, Native Plants of Arizona 2007
Common names: Tail-leaf Pericome(2,3,6), taperleaf, yerba de chivato(2,3,6), mountain tail-leaf (1), mountain leaftail (4), pericome (5).
Family: Asteraceae(1)
Synonymy: Pericome caudata var. glandulosa (Goodman) H. D. Harrington; P. glandulosa Goodman (6)
Etymology: “Peri”= around, a kome is a tuft of hairs. This is likely referring to the hairy stems of the plant. Caudata refers to a tail, likely describing the tapered leaf (7).

Identification
Growth form: Perennial herb/subshrub with several branched, leafy stems producing large, round masses of foliage to 1.5 m topped by clusters of bright yellow to orange yellow rayless inflourescenses (1,5).
Roots:
Stem: Striate, round, glabrous or hairy, sometimes gland-dotted (6).
Leaves: Simple, generally opposite (or uppermost alternate), dark green, triangular, tip long-acuminate or tapered, gland-dotted; (2,5,8); petioles (5–)10–45 mm; blades (2–)3.5–12(–15) × 1–12 cm (6).
Inflorescence/flowers: Flowers hermaphroditic with yellow to orange yellow inflorescences, containing only disc flowers (8,9). Heads discoid, small, few–many in ± flat-topped cymes, often arrayed in leafy-bracted, compound clusters. Peduncles 0.5–4 cm. Involucres 4.5–10 × 4–10 mm. Phyllaries 0.5–1 mm wide, apices attenuate. Disc corollas: tubes 1–3.5 mm, throats 2–5.5 mm, lobes 0.5–1 mm.
Fruit: Oblanceolate, flat; surfaces black, puberulent, margins ± thickened, densely ciliate; pappus a low crown of fringed scales, sometimes with 1–2 bristles (8)
Similar species: none

Ecology
Life history: Low growing, herbaceous, perennial subshrub Native/introduced: Native to the Southwestern United States and Chihuahua, Mexico (1,8,9).
Photosynthetic pathway: C3
Phenology: Flowers July-October(2,8).
Distribution: growing from 1400–3300 m(6,000-9,000) in elevation from Chihuahuan to upper Sonoran scrub and into montane forests in rocks, boulders, on talus slopes, bluffs, crags, canyons, along roadsides, in volcanic, limestone, and sandstone substrates (1,5,6); in northern AZ found in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties, also found in the sky-islands in southern AZ, CA, CO, NV., NM., OK, TX. and Mexico (Chihuahua)(1,2,6,8).

Uses
Roots were used in Mexico as a remedy for arthritis(7). Among the Navajo there are many uses for Pericome including; preparation of a decoction of the root for general body pain, inhaling the scent of fresh leaves for headaches, a decoction of root taken for cough, a compound containing stems used as shampoo to prevent balding, a cold infusion of leaves taken for influenza, a decoction of root used as a sweatbath medicine, a decoction of root taken to facilitate delivery of placenta, a poultice of the heated root applied for toothache, a fusion of leaves used as a ceremonial chant lotion and emetic and a decoction of the root used for protection from witches(4).

Other Facts: The pungent, goat-like odor of this plant provoked the Spanish conquistadors in New Mexico to call it “yerba de chivato” or “herb of the he-goat”(3). It is also found abundantly around archaeological sites in Northern AZ, suggesting possible prehistoric human use or association(7).

References

1. USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 12 November 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

2. Epple, A. O. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Falcon Publishing. Helena, Montana.

3. Arnberger, L.P. 1982. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, Globe, Arizona.

4. Moerman, D. 2003. Native American Ethnobotany Database (http://herb.umd.umich.edu/). University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48198 USA

5. Spellburg, R. 1979. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers.Alfred A. Knopf Inc. New York, New York.

6. Flora of North America http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=22001014

7. Hogan, P. and K. Huisinga. 1999. An annotated catalog of the native and naturalized flora of Arizona. Arizona Ethnobotanical Research Association, Flagstaff, Arizona.

8. Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1682,1683

9. Powell, M.A. 1973. Taxonomy of Pericome (Compositae-Peritylinae). The Southwestern Naturalist 18: 335-339.

Pericome caudata A. Gray By Frankie Coburn, Native Plants of Arizona 2007 Common names: Tail-leaf Pericome(2,3,6), taperleaf, yerba de chivato(2,3,6), mountain tail-leaf (1), mountain leaftail (4), pericome (5). Family: Asteraceae(1) Synonymy: Pericome caudata var. glandulosa (Goodman) H. D. Harrington; P. glandulosa Goodman (6) Etymology: “Peri”= around, a kome is a tuft of hairs. This is likely referring to the hairy stems of the plant. Caudata refers to a tail, likely describing the tapered leaf (7). Identification Growth form: Perennial herb/subshrub with several branched, leafy stems producing large, round masses of foliage to 1.5 m topped by clusters of bright yellow to orange yellow rayless inflourescenses (1,5). Roots: Stem: Striate, round, glabrous or hairy, sometimes gland-dotted (6). Leaves: Simple, generally opposite (or uppermost alternate), dark green, triangular, tip long-acuminate or tapered, gland-dotted; (2,5,8); petioles (5–)10–45 mm; blades (2–)3.5–12(–15) × 1–12 cm (6). Inflorescence/flowers: Flowers hermaphroditic with yellow to orange yellow inflorescences, containing only disc flowers (8,9). Heads discoid, small, few–many in ± flat-topped cymes, often arrayed in leafy-bracted, compound clusters. Peduncles 0.5–4 cm. Involucres 4.5–10 × 4–10 mm. Phyllaries 0.5–1 mm wide, apices attenuate. Disc corollas: tubes 1–3.5 mm, throats 2–5.5 mm, lobes 0.5–1 mm. Fruit: Oblanceolate, flat; surfaces black, puberulent, margins ± thickened, densely ciliate; pappus a low crown of fringed scales, sometimes with 1–2 bristles (8) Similar species: none Ecology Life history: Low growing, herbaceous, perennial subshrub Native/introduced: Native to the Southwestern United States and Chihuahua, Mexico (1,8,9). Photosynthetic pathway: C3 Phenology: Flowers July-October(2,8). Distribution: growing from 1400–3300 m(6,000-9,000) in elevation from Chihuahuan to upper Sonoran scrub and into montane forests in rocks, boulders, on talus slopes, bluffs, crags, canyons, along roadsides, in volcanic, limestone, and sandstone substrates (1,5,6); in northern AZ found in Coconino, Navajo, and Apache counties, also found in the sky-islands in southern AZ, CA, CO, NV., NM., OK, TX. and Mexico (Chihuahua)(1,2,6,8). Uses Roots were used in Mexico as a remedy for arthritis(7). Among the Navajo there are many uses for Pericome including; preparation of a decoction of the root for general body pain, inhaling the scent of fresh leaves for headaches, a decoction of root taken for cough, a compound containing stems used as shampoo to prevent balding, a cold infusion of leaves taken for influenza, a decoction of root used as a sweatbath medicine, a decoction of root taken to facilitate delivery of placenta, a poultice of the heated root applied for toothache, a fusion of leaves used as a ceremonial chant lotion and emetic and a decoction of the root used for protection from witches(4). Other Facts: The pungent, goat-like odor of this plant provoked the Spanish conquistadors in New Mexico to call it “yerba de chivato” or “herb of the he-goat”(3). It is also found abundantly around archaeological sites in Northern AZ, suggesting possible prehistoric human use or association(7). References 1. USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 12 November 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. 2. Epple, A. O. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Falcon Publishing. Helena, Montana. 3. Arnberger, L.P. 1982. Flowers of the Southwest Mountains. Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, Globe, Arizona. 4. Moerman, D. 2003. Native American Ethnobotany Database (http://herb.umd.umich.edu/). University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48198 USA 5. Spellburg, R. 1979. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers.Alfred A. Knopf Inc. New York, New York. 6. Flora of North America http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=22001014 7. Hogan, P. and K. Huisinga. 1999. An annotated catalog of the native and naturalized flora of Arizona. Arizona Ethnobotanical Research Association, Flagstaff, Arizona. 8. Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1682,1683 9. Powell, M.A. 1973. Taxonomy of Pericome (Compositae-Peritylinae). The Southwestern Naturalist 18: 335-339.