Blennosperma nanum var. nanum

Common blennosperma

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Common blennosperma is a California native annual found in northern Coast Ranges, California Rocky Formations, Sierra Nevada Foothills, Central Valley, western California, southern California coastal areas, northern Channel Islands, and Peninsular Ranges in open, grassy areas and margins of seeps or vernal pools at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from January to May, this plant produces small yellow flowers in compact disk heads with generally 20 to 60 white pollen-producing florets. Growing with delicate branching stems typically 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms loose, spreading clusters in seasonal grassland environments. Its leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, distributed alternately along the stems with reduced size toward the flower heads. The fruit is small, measuring approximately 2.5 to 3 millimeters in length, contributing to its diminutive and ephemeral nature.

Habitat: Open, grassy areas, often margins of seeps or vernal pools

Bloom period: Jan-May

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: NCoR, CaRF, SNF, GV, CW (exc SCoRI), SCo, n ChI, PR.

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