Foothill canyons.  Rocks, openings. Summer.
Butler Wash, Utah, August 27, 2007.

Wirelettuce is a twisting mass of stems with scattered pink/purple/white flowers. Last year's dried stems are present at the bottom of the photo. Look for Wirelettuce along canyon walls.  This is a fairly common, but easily overlooked plant.

"Stephanomeria" is from the Greek for "partial crown" and refers to the shape of the pappus. "Pauciflora" is Latin for "few flowers".  Thomas Nuttall named this genus and in 1827 John Torrey gave this species the name Prenanthes pauciflora from a specimen collected by Edwin James in the Rockies.  The plant was renamed Stephanomeria pauciflora by Aven Nelson in 1909.

Foothill canyons.  Rocks, openings. Summer.
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, September 19, 2005. 

Foothill canyons.  Rocks, openings. Summer.
Butler Wash, Utah, August 27, 2007.