Ancistrocarphus sp.
Groundstar, woolly fishhooks, Woolly Fishhooks
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Annual · Variable; species dependent
Ancistrocarphus sp. (Groundstar) is a non-native California annual in the Asteraceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Logfia: Ancistrocarphus has distinctive inward-hooked spine tips; Logfia has mushroom-shaped heads without hooks.; vs Psilocarphus: Ancistrocarphus has hooked spine-tipped bracts; Psilocarphus has woolly heads without hooked spines.; vs Hesperevax: Ancistrocarphus has inward-hooked spine tips; Hesperevax has erect or spreading flat, blunt-tipped bracts.; vs Filago: Ancistrocarphus has prominent hooked spine-tipped bracts; Filago has cone-shaped heads without hooks.; vs Stylocline: Ancistrocarphus has distinctive fishhook-tipped bracts; Stylocline lacks hooked spines entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ancistrocarphus sp. native to California?
No. Ancistrocarphus sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Ancistrocarphus sp. belong to?
Ancistrocarphus sp. is in the Asteraceae family, genus Ancistrocarphus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.