Stephanomeria
genus of plants
Stephanomeria is a genus of North American plants also known as wirelettuce, belonging to the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae.
Stephanomeria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Schinia scarletina, which feeds exclusively on the genus.
Annual species
Stephanomeria diegensis Gottlieb - San Diego wirelettuce - Baja California, southern California; Hybrid origin: S. exigua х S. virgata
Stephanomeria elata Nutt. - Santa Barbara wirelettuce - California and Oregon; 2n=32
Stephanomeria exigua Nutt. - small wirelettuce - widespread throughout western United States + Baja California; 2n=16
Stephanomeria hitchcockii Gand. - Kansas
Stephanomeria malheurensis Gottlieb - Malheur wirelettuce - Harney County in Oregon; 2n=16
Stephanomeria mexiae M.E.Jones - Chihuahua
Stephanomeria paniculata Nutt. - tufted wirelettuce - Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho; 2n=16
Stephanomeria virgata Benth. - rod wirelettuce - California, Oregon, Nevada, Baja California; 2n=16
Perennial species
Stephanomeria cichoriacea A.Gray - chicoryleaf wirelettuce - southern California; 2n=16
Stephanomeria fluminea Gottlieb - Teton wirelettuce - Endemic to northwestern Wyoming; 2n=16
Stephanomeria guadalupensis Brandegee - Endemic to Guadalupe Island in Baja California; 2n=16
Stephanomeria lactucina A.Gray - woodland wirelettuce - California, Oregon and Nevada; 2n=16
Stephanomeria monocephala Moran - Baja California
Stephanomeria occultata Wellard & J.W.Baker - Endemic to Weber River corridor, Northern Utah; 2n=16
Stephanomeria parryi A.Gray - Parry's wirelettuce - Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah; 2n=32
Stephanomeria pauciflora (Torr.) A.Nelson - Brownplume wirelettuce - widespread, southwestern United States; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Coahuila); 2n=16
Stephanomeria runcinata Nutt.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Stephanomeria” is genus of plants. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Stephanomeria, genus and plants, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “genus of plants” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 5, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q5392954. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Stephanomeria”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Stephanomeria primary sources, Stephanomeria archive and Stephanomeria research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Stephanomeria”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Stephanomeria” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.