Calycadenia pauciflora
Small flowered calycadenia
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Calycadenia pauciflora (Small flowered calycadenia) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Key features: fan-shaped branching pattern, no main stem axis, sinuses nearly equal ray length.
Small flowered calycadenia is a California native annual found in northern Coast Ranges and Sacramento Valley in open, dry rocky meadows and foothill woodland openings at elevations of 50 to 1,100 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces white flowers that age to pink, with delicate ray flowers 5 to 7 millimeters long in small heads. Growing with slender, flexible stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall that branch in a fan-like pattern and often zigzag, it has a distinctive branching habit. Its leaves are 1 to 5 centimeters long on the lower stems, with fine, sparse hairs. The fruit features disk flowers with alternating long and short pappus scales, creating a unique seed dispersal mechanism.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species. Key features: fan-shaped branching pattern, no main stem axis, sinuses nearly equal ray length
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Open, dry, generally rocky meadows, hillsides, openings in chaparral, foothill woodland
Elevation: 50-1100 m
Bloom period
Calycadenia pauciflora blooms Apr-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 pauciflora native to California?
Yes. Calycadenia pauciflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Calycadenia pauciflora bloom?
Calycadenia pauciflora blooms Apr-Sep.
What plant family does Calycadenia pauciflora belong to?
Calycadenia pauciflora is in the Asteraceae family, genus Calycadenia.
What habitat does Calycadenia pauciflora grow in?
Calycadenia pauciflora grows in Common. Open, dry, generally rocky meadows, hillsides, openings in chaparral, foothill woodland.
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.