Bahiopsis reticulata
Death valley goldeneye, Death Valley Goldeneye
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Bahiopsis reticulata (Death valley goldeneye) is a native California shrub in the Asteraceae family, recognized by woolly leaves and peeling bark.
Death valley goldeneye is a California native shrub found in the Mojave Desert on arid slopes at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from February to June and September to October, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in small clusters with ray flowers 7 to 15 millimeters long. Growing with multiple soft-hairy stems 5 to 15 decimeters tall, it develops bark that peels with age and forms a plant up to 1.5 meters in diameter. Its leaves are distinctively textured, with proximal leaves opposite and distal leaves alternate, having ovate blades 2 to 9 centimeters long that are densely canescent-tomentose on the upper surface and gray-green and loosely tomentose on the lower surface. The fruit is an obovate seed 2.5 to 4 millimeters long with long and short pappus scales.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; key features are woolly leaves and peeling bark
Habitat and range
Habitat: Arid slopes
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino
Outside California: western Nevada
Bloom period
Bahiopsis reticulata blooms Feb-Jun, Sep--Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Encelia: Bahiopsis has large showy yellow ray petals; Encelia rays are absent or reduced and inconspicuous.; vs Hulsea: Bahiopsis is a woody desert shrub; Hulsea is herbaceous with glandular-sticky aromatic foliage.; vs Helianthus: Bahiopsis has woody persistent stems; Helianthus has soft herbaceous stems that die back.; vs Tagetes: Bahiopsis has rounded leaf bases; Tagetes has deeply divided feathery leaves with strong scent.; vs Brickellia: Bahiopsis has large yellow ray petals; Brickellia flowers are small disk-only with no rays.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bahiopsis reticulata native to California?
Yes. Bahiopsis reticulata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Bahiopsis reticulata bloom?
Bahiopsis reticulata blooms Feb-Jun, Sep--Oct.
Where in California does Bahiopsis reticulata grow?
Bahiopsis reticulata occurs in Inyo, San Bernardino, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Bahiopsis reticulata belong to?
Bahiopsis reticulata is in the Asteraceae family, genus Bahiopsis.
What habitat does Bahiopsis reticulata grow in?
Bahiopsis reticulata grows in Arid slopes.
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.