California desertdandelion
Malacothrix californica DC.
Malacothrix californica, known as California desertdandelion, is an annual plant in the Asteraceae family. It is native to California, Baja California, and parts of Arizona and Mexico. The species was first described in 1838. It typically grows in the South Coast, Transverse and Peninsular Ranges, and the western Mojave Desert.
Description
Malacothrix californica is an annual plant that ranges from 4 to 45 cm in height. It has erect or arcuate-ascending stems, usually glabrous, with shaggily piloso-hirsute bases. Leaves are oblanceolate to linear, pinnately lobed, and not fleshy. The involucres are 8-15 mm in diameter, with phyllaries that are lanceolate to lance-linear. Florets are yellow to pale yellow, 16-20 mm long. Cypsalae are prismatic, 2-3.4 mm long, with 5 prominent ribs. The species has a chromosome count of 2n = 14.
Other common names
California desertdandelion
Distribution
Baja California · California · Sonora · Mexico Northwest
Synonyms
Malacothrix californica var. californica
