Chaenactis carphoclinia var. peirsonii

Peirson's pincushion

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Peirson's pincushion is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in the eastern Santa Rosa Mountains and adjacent western Sonoran Desert areas on open, rocky or gravelly slopes below 200 meters elevation. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces delicate white to pale yellow flowers in small, clustered heads. Growing to 40 to 60 centimeters tall with stiff, erect stems that have a distinctively thick and enlarged base, it forms an airy, open structure. Its leaves are primarily basal and persistent, with the longest reaching 7 to 10 centimeters, featuring thick petioles that anchor the plant in rocky terrain. The delicate white flowers and sprawling growth make this annual a distinctive resident of desert and mountain transitional zones.

Habitat: Open, generally rocky or gravelly slopes, flats

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: e PR (e Santa Rosa Mtns), adjacent w DSon.

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