Wollastonia tenuifolia is a suffruticose perennial herb. The stems are decumbent, growing up to 3 meters or more long, and root at the nodes. The leaves are ternately compound, appearing as if there are six leaves per node. The leaflets are 3-8.5 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, sparsely strigillose, pinnatifid, and sessile. The flower heads are solitary or occur in clusters of 2. The outer involucral bracts are lanceolate, 5-7.5 mm long, and 1-1.8 mm wide, with strigillose surfaces and attenuate apices. The chaffy bracts are tan throughout. Each head contains 8-10 ray florets with oblong rays 8-11.5 mm long and 2.7-3.9 mm wide. The disk florets number 20-30 per head and measures 2.7-3 mm long, with anthers that are 1.3-1.5 mm long. The pappus consists of short, deciduous awns. The achenes are tuberculate, with ray achenes measuring 1.8-2.6 mm long and 1.2-1.5 mm wide, with wings approximately 0.3 mm long. Disk achenes are 1.8-2.4 mm long and 1.1-1.5 mm wide, with wings approximately 0.2 mm long. It occurs in dry to mesic environments, typically on ridge tops, cliffs, or bluffs in open areas, shrublands, or forests between 110-978 meters.
Bean-shaped (Reniform): Resembling the shape of a kidney or bean.
Square or Oblong: Angular shape with all sides more or less equal or longer than wide.
Triangular: Three-sided shape, broadest below the middle.
Elliptic: Rounded at both ends. shaped like an ellipse or oval.
Ovate or Obovate: egg-shaped, broader at one end.
Linear: Extremely long and narrow, with sides usually parallel.
Round: Appears circular, with length and width roughly the same.
Cardioid (Heart-Shaped): One edge has a prominent double curve into two lobes.
Cylindrical: A cylinder with parallel sides and a circular cross-section.
Discoid: Resembling a disc or plate with two relatively flat surfaces.
Fusiform: Spindle-shaped, tapering at both ends.
Globose: Spherical.
Lenticular: Resembling a lens with two convex surfaces.
Ovoid: Egg-shaped.
Plano-convex: Having a flat ventral (planar) surface and a curved dorsal (convex) surface.
Polygonal: Having more than three flat faces meeting at angles.
Sectoroid: Resembling a segment of an orange with two relatively flat faces and one curved face.
Subglobose/ellipsoid: Inflated shape but less than spherical.
Trigonous: Having three faces that meet at a distinct angle; triangular in cross-section.
Endangered species (E) are species that are so rare they’re in danger of becoming extinct.
Threatened species (T) are species that are likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range.
Species of Concern (SOC) are species about which there are some concerns regarding status and threats, but insufficient information is available to list the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Plant Extinction Prevention (PEP) is a state status for rare plants that focuses its efforts on species that have fewer than 50 remaining wild individuals.
Orthodox seeds (desiccation-tolerant): can be dried to an internal seed moisture of less than 12% water and stored at freezing temperatures.
Intermediate seeds (temperature-sensitive) tend to age faster than orthodox seeds and may have only a 5-year lifespan when stored at -20°C. They are recommended for storage at 5°C.
Recalcitrant seeds (desiccation-sensitive): cannot be stored in a conventional freezer as they cannot survive after drying and/or freezing at -20°C. They are recommended for cryopreservation storage.