Commonly called “desert marigold,” baileya blossoms in all seasons, most
heavily from March to November, and is one of the better known flowers
of the Southwest. Each circular blossom occupies the tip of a foot-high
stem. Plants usually have a thrifty, garden-variety appearance. They are
common along roadsides and on well-drained, gravelly slopes up to 5,000
feet from west Texas to southeastern California and Chihuahua. The large
flower heads are showy and the species is cultivated in California.
Cases are on record of sheep and goats on overgrazed ranges being
poisoned by eating this plant.
_Baileya multiradiata_ Sunflower Family
[Illustration: DESERT BAILEYA]