Adenophyllum porophylloides
San Felipe dogweed
(c) W. Terry Hunefeld, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Adenophyllum porophylloides (San Felipe dogweed) is a native California subshrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by key differences in leaf dissection, peduncle length, and lack of glaucous coating.
San Felipe dogweed is a California native perennial found in the eastern edge of the Peninsular Ranges, southern Desert Mojave, and Desert Sonoran regions in washes, alluvial fans, and rocky slopes in open scrub and woodland at elevations of 50 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to June and October to December, this plant produces yellow flowers that transition to red-orange, with ray flowers 5 to 6 millimeters long in distinctive heads. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with erect stems, it develops a distinctive branching habit in open habitats. Its pinnately lobed leaves are 15 to 40 millimeters long, featuring oil glands at the base and tip of each lobe, creating a unique aromatic characteristic. The fruit develops small scales 7 to 12 millimeters long, composed of 7 to 11 fused bristles.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; key differences in leaf dissection, peduncle length, and lack of glaucous coating
Habitat and range
Habitat: Washes, alluvial fans, rocky slopes, in open scrub, woodland
Elevation: 50-1300 m
Outside California: to Nevada, Arizona, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Adenophyllum porophylloides blooms Mar-Jun, Oct--Dec.
How to tell it apart
vs Bebbia: Adenophyllum has both ray and disk flowers; Bebbia has only disk flowers (no rays).; vs Tagetes: Adenophyllum bracts are separate in 2 rows; Tagetes bracts are fused into a tube.; vs Porophyllum: Adenophyllum has divided leaves; Porophyllum has simple, entire club-shaped leaves.; vs Encelia: Adenophyllum has flat-segmented aromatic leaves; Encelia has simple entire leaves, less pungent.; vs Eriogonum: Adenophyllum is in Asteraceae with daisy flowers; Eriogonum is in Polygonaceae with tiny clustered flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Adenophyllum porophylloides native to California?
Yes. Adenophyllum porophylloides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Adenophyllum porophylloides bloom?
Adenophyllum porophylloides blooms Mar-Jun, Oct--Dec.
What plant family does Adenophyllum porophylloides belong to?
Adenophyllum porophylloides is in the Asteraceae family, genus Adenophyllum.
What habitat does Adenophyllum porophylloides grow in?
Adenophyllum porophylloides grows in Washes, alluvial fans, rocky slopes, in open scrub, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.