Baileya (the desert marigolds) is a genus of plants in the aster family Asteraceae. All are native to the southwestern United States and to Mexico.Emory, William Hemsley. 1848. Notes of a military reconnoissance, from Fort Leavenworth, in Missouri, to San Diego, in California, including part of the Arkansas, Del Norte, and Gila rivers 144Tropicos, Baileya Harv. & A. Gray ex Torr.
They are typically annual, though B. multiradiata may be perennial. The leaves, which may range from being entire to deeply lobed, mostly occur in a basal cluster. From this arises several flower stems, up to 18 inches (50 cm) in height, usually carrying a single yellow radiate flower each, although B. pauciradiata may have 2–3 flowers on a stem.Flora of North America, Baileya Harvey & A. Gray ex Torrey in W. H. Emory
Desert marigolds typically have their main bloom in the spring, extending through July. Summer thunderstorms may enable a second bloom in October and even into November.Jepson Manual Treatment
Baileya species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia miniana (which feeds exclusively on the genus) and Schinia pallicincta (which feeds exclusively on B. pauciradiata).
The genus is named after US microscopist and West Point professor Jacob Whitman Bailey (1811–1857), known for his studies of diatoms.
Species
+As of July 2020 there are three accepted species in Baileya:The Plant List, search for BaileyaBiota of North America Program, 2013 county distribution mapsTurner, B. L. 2013. The comps of Mexico. A systematic account of the family Asteraceae (chapter 11: tribe Helenieae). Phytologia Mem. 16: 1–100 Binomial name Authority Common name Synonyms DistributionBaileya multiradiata Harv. & A.Gray ex Torr. (1848) desert marigold Baileya australis Rydb. (1914) Baileya multiradiata var. multiradiata Baileya multiradiata var. nudicaulis A.Gray Baileya multiradiata var. thurberi (Rydb.) Kittell Baileya pleniradiata var. multiradiata Kearney Baileya thurberi Rydb. California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, southwestern Utah, western Texas, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Aguascalientes Baileya pauciradiata Harvey & A.Gray (1849)laxflower, Colorado desert marigold no synonymssoutheastern California, western Arizona, southwestern Utah, Sonora, Baja California Baileya pleniradiata Harv. & A.Gray ex Harv. & A.Gray (1898) woolly desert marigold Baileya multiradiata var. perennis (A.Nelson) Kittell Baileya multiradiata var. pleniradiata (Harv. & A.Gray ex A.Gray) Coville Baileya nervosa M.E.Jones Baileya perennis (A.Nelson) Rydb. Baileya pleniradiata var. perennis A.Nelson Baileya pleniradiata var. pleniradiata Baileya pleniradiata var. thurberi Rydb.California, southern Nevada, Arizona, southwestern Utah, Chihuahua, Sonora, Baja California
References
External links USDA Plants Profile