Calycadenia fremontii
Fremont's calycadenia
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Calycadenia fremontii (Fremont's calycadenia) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Key features: tall rigid stems, main axis obvious, ray sinuses nearly equal to ray length.
Fremont's calycadenia is a California native annual found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, and Sacramento Valley in open, dry meadows and gravelly washes at elevations of 50 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces yellow, cream, or white ray flowers that age to pink, arranged in heads with 1 to 3 clusters per node. Growing with erect stems 10 to 100 centimeters tall, it has a rigid main axis covered in fine strigose hairs. Its leaves are predominantly on the lower portion of the plant, measuring 2 to 8 centimeters long, with narrow linear characteristics. The plant features distinctive tack-like glands on its bracts and phyllaries, with ray flowers that have slightly asymmetric lobes widest beyond the middle.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species. Key features: tall rigid stems, main axis obvious, ray sinuses nearly equal to ray length
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Open, dry meadows, hillsides, gravelly washes
Elevation: 50-1400 m
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Calycadenia fremontii blooms Apr-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Hemizonia: Calycadenia rays deeply fringed; Hemizonia rays shallowly lobed with ray fruits beaked.; vs Osmadenia: Calycadenia covered with tack glands; Osmadenia completely lacks sticky glands.; vs Deinandra: Calycadenia rays deeply split; Deinandra rays shallowly lobed or entire.; vs Madia: Calycadenia has tack glands and deeply split rays; Madia lacks tack glands, different ray shape.; vs Holocarpha: Calycadenia has tack glands (not pit glands); Holocarpha has pit-gland depressions on bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Calycadenia fremontii native to California?
Yes. Calycadenia fremontii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Calycadenia fremontii bloom?
Calycadenia fremontii blooms Apr-Oct.
What plant family does Calycadenia fremontii belong to?
Calycadenia fremontii is in the Asteraceae family, genus Calycadenia.
What habitat does Calycadenia fremontii grow in?
Calycadenia fremontii grows in Common. Open, dry meadows, hillsides, gravelly washes.
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.