Scientific Name: (Lygodesmia taxana)
Definition: One of the many varieties in the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) Skeleton Weed grows 12 - 15 inches tall. Its smooth, bare stems, growing at odd angles suggests its common name. The few leaves it has are at the base of the plant. Flower heads vary from rose to lavender and are 2 inches across. Each flower grows singly at the end of a stem and only one flower head blooms at any time on a single stem. 12 ray flowers surround orchid colored disc flowers that curl toward the center. Skeleton Weed grows on prairies throughout most of the state. Other common names for this plant include Texas Skeleton Weed, Skeleton Plant, Purple Dandelion and Flowering Straw. Blooms May - September