Desert Silverbloom

This small flower grows up to 4 inches (10 cm) tall. Its silver stem is very thin, and the tiny, violet leaves are thick with serrated edges. Many leaves grow along the entire length of the stem.

Each stem splits 4 to 7 times; a single large flower grows at the end of each split. The flowers are 4 cm (1.6 inches) wide, with brown petals and an amber central disk. The flower head is largely flat with 47 tightly layered narrow petals. They fall easily.

It has a strong scent that smells like musk, and it has an average amount of pollen; it can cause severe allergic reactions. It is a self-pollinator, but is also visited by a variety of insects.