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- Dyssodia papposa
Dyssodia papposa — fetid-marigold
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Facts
Fetid-marigold is a native of the Central United States, and is probably ephemeral in the Northeast. The potential to live up to its common name was noted by C. W. Short in 1837: "This plant is so abundant, and exhales an odor so unpleasant as to sicken the traveler over the western prairies of Illinois, in autumn."
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 15–50 mm
- Flower head width
- 6–14 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bract color
-
- the bracts are colored, or at least tinged with, pink, red or purple
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are two main cycles of bracts
- Bract keels
- the bracts do not have keels
- Bract margins
- there are fine hairs along the bract margins
- Bract outer side hairs
-
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- the bracts appear completely unconnected to one another on all flower heads
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are oblanceolate (widest near the tip, but otherwise narrow and tapering)
- the main bracts are ovate (egg-shaped)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract tip color
- the tips are the same color as the center of the bract
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bract tip shape
-
- the tips of the bracts are obtuse (have a blunt point)
- the tips of the bracts are rounded
- the tips of the bracts are truncate (end abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Bracts
- there are at least two distinct forms of bracts in different cycles
- Disk flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head number
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head position
-
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
- Flower head profile
- the disk is rounded across the top
- Flower head shape
-
- the flower head is hemispherical (like the bottom half of a sphere)
- the flower head is shaped like a cone with the point up
- Flower head width
- 6–14 mm
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 6–10 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- NA
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 7–21
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
-
- the ovary has hairs on it, but the hairs have no glands
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
-
- the ovary has hairs on it
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is another shape
- Peduncle hair type
-
- NA
- the hairs on the peduncles are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly
- Peduncle hairs
-
- the peduncles are hairy
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Peduncle length
- 1–10 mm
- Ray flower color
-
- orange
- yellow
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- Ray flowers
-
- 1-5
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 1.5–2.5 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Width of flower head base
- 5–10 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 11 or more
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 3–3.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- the pappus hairs are attached to one another near the base
- Seed hair tuft length
- 1–3 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- the pappus hairs are slender
- Seed tuft scale number
- 15–20
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of flat scales that look split or frayed at the tips
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
-
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- opposite: there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- NA
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 15–50 mm
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 10–40 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
- the leaf has lobes that themselves have lobes, and these secondary lobes also have lobes; there may be more than three levels of lobes
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has an unpleasant or repellant odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair type
-
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Dyssodia papposa (Vent.) A.S. Hitchc. E
fetid-marigold. Boebera papposa (Vent.) Rydb. ex Britt.; Tagetes papposa Vent. • MA, VT; also reported from ME by Campbell et al. (1995), but specimens are unknown. Wool waste, fields, disturbed soil.
Native to North America?
Sometimes confused with
Synonyms
- Boebera papposa (Vent.) Rydb. ex Britt.
- Tagetes papposa Vent.