Dogweed

Photo by Carol Tornow, 10/11/11

This cute little plant is blooming all over; I saw some very fine specimens on E. Ocotillo Drive last week. (This photo comes from Sabino Canyon, of course.) It's called Dogweed or Five-needle Pricklyleaf (Thymophylla pentachaeta) and is (you guessed it) in the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae). The smile-inducing flowers are no bigger than a dime.