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   Chaenactis' mass of finely cut leaves usually draws our attention first, for Chaenactis flowers are small, rayless, and inconspicuously light white, cream, or yellow. But a close look at the flower shows its intricacy and beauty and makes it special with wildflower enthusiasts.

    "Chaenactis" is from the Greek "open or gaping rays", and refers to the enlarged floral tube of the ray flowers in some Chaenactis species.

 

Chaenactis stevioides (Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert. Shrublands, openings. Spring, summer.
Corona Arch Trail, Utah, May 5, 2005.

Chaenactis stevioides has a very open, airy growth pattern topped by a spray of white disk flowers.  Leaves are deeply cut and often a blue-green with light maroon becoming dominant as the plant flowers and ages.  

According to the on-line Calflora Botanical Dictionary: "there is a genus Stevia in the Asteraceae that grows in Paraguay....  It was named after Pedro Jaime Esteve (d. 1566), a Spanish botanist and physician.  From the form of the name "stevioides" ... it [is] likely that it means 'like [the genus] Stevia'".  William Jackson Hooker named the plant in 1839 and it is likely he knew of Esteve.
 

Chaenactis stevioides (Chaenactis)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert. Shrublands, openings. Spring, summer.
Corona Arch Trail, Utah, May 5, 2005.

In the background of the Chaenactis stevioides are numerous yellow spore-bearing bodies of Mormon Tea.

Six Chaenactis stevioides flowers show the progression from a bud just opening (to the right of top center) to a fully opened flower.  The yellow flower centers within the white flowers are tightly closed disk flowers that will open white.  Fully opened central disk flowers are tubular; fully opened disk flowers around the edge often are enlarged and have flared lips that resemble ray flowers.