Flower profile
Brownplume wirelettuce
Stephanomeria pauciflora
Brownplume wirelettuce (Stephanomeria pauciflora) is a low shrub in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–December across the U.S.
Brownplume wirelettuce is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in May–November.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Stephanomeria pauciflora is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names brownplume wirelettuce, few-flowered wirelettuce, and prairie skeletonplant. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitat, including many desert areas, woodlands, and plains.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–November. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 430 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #97 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in May–November.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S2), OK (S1), WY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records brownplume wirelettuce in 10 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Wyoming.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Churchill, Clark, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lander, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Washoe, White Pine.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Lygodesmia pauciflora, Ptiloria pauciflora, Stephanomeria cinerea, Stephanomeria lygodesmoides, Stephanomeria neomexicana.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 152 counties across 10 states; the most are in Texas (47), New Mexico (29), Colorado (18).
More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile STPA4.
- iNaturalist, Stephanomeria pauciflora: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Stephanomeria pauciflora (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Stephanomeria pauciflora (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Jesse Rorabaugh via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.