Calycadenia mollis
Soft calycadenia
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Calycadenia mollis (Soft calycadenia) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Key features: soft spreading hairs, zigzag stems, dense head clusters, flexible bracts.
Soft calycadenia is a California native annual herb found in central Sierra Nevada Foothills, central Sierra Nevada, and San Joaquin Valley in open, dry meadows and fields at elevations of 100 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces yellow, white, or rose-colored ray flowers 5 to 6 millimeters long with ray heads in dense clusters. Growing with stems 30 to 90 centimeters tall that are often zigzag-curved and long soft-hairy, it has a delicate, branching structure. Its leaves are 2 to 8 centimeters long, typically longest at the mid-stem, with a soft and flexible appearance. The plant produces ray fruits that are generally rough-wrinkled and nearly glabrous, with disk flowers featuring pappus scales that are mostly lanceolate and acuminate.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species. Key features: soft spreading hairs, zigzag stems, dense head clusters, flexible bracts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Open, dry meadows, fields
Elevation: 100-1500 m
Bloom period
Calycadenia mollis blooms May-Sep.
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 mollis native to California?
Yes. Calycadenia mollis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Calycadenia mollis bloom?
Calycadenia mollis blooms May-Sep.
What plant family does Calycadenia mollis belong to?
Calycadenia mollis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Calycadenia.
What habitat does Calycadenia mollis grow in?
Calycadenia mollis grows in Common. Open, dry meadows, fields.
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.