Pyrrhopappus carolinianus, commonly called Carolina desert-chicory or Texas dandelion, is in the genus Pyrrhopappus of the family Asteraceae, native throughout Eastern and South Eastern United States. It is an annual found in mostly open grasslands and wet roadsides. P. carolinianus can bloom from spring to frost with the heads facing the sun throughout the day.
P. carolinianus has been observed growing in habitats such as the edges of marshes, sandpine-oak woodlands, and savannas.Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: July 2015. Collectors: Lisa Keppner, Ed Keppner, Bian Tan, Walter Judd, Loran C. Anderson, Robert K. Godfrey, Patricia Elliot, K. Craddock Burks, Gwynn W. Ramsey, Richard S. Mitchell, R. A. Norris, D. C. Hunt, Andre F. Clewell, R. Komarek. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Columbia, Escambia, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Washington. Georgia: Grady, Thomas.
Pollination Oligolectic bees in the genus Hemihalictus have been found to pollinate the Carolina desert-chicory.
Ecology
Pyrrhopappus carolinianus is insect pollinated and is recorded to have been visited in northern Florida by Augochloropsis sumptuosa,and Halictus poeyi/ligatus. Ulyshen, M. D., K. Robertson, S. Horn, and C. Dixon. 2024. Characterization of the bee community and pollination network in a southeastern U.S. pine savanna. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 12:1403602.
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