Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus var. sphaerocephalus

Rayless goldenhead

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Rayless goldenhead is a California native shrub found in the Tehachapi Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, and Deserts in gravelly or rocky juniper woodland habitats at elevations up to 2,200 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow flowers in compact, spherical heads without ray flowers. Growing with stems generally less than one meter tall, it forms a dense, rounded shrub with intricate branching. Its leaves are glabrous with occasionally sparse rough margins, creating a smooth and textured appearance across the plant. In dry, rocky landscapes, rayless goldenhead provides a distinctive golden-yellow presence among sparse juniper woodlands.

Habitat: Gravelly or rocky soils, flats or slopes, juniper woodland

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 2200 m

Bioregions: Teh, SnGb, SnBr, PR, D

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.