Chaenactis macrantha
Mojave pincushion, Mojave Pincushion
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Chaenactis macrantha (Mojave pincushion) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by large night-opening flowers and nodding buds.
Mojave pincushion is a California native annual found in the northern edge of the Tehachapi Range, southern eastern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Desert on open, silty, often gravel-covered soils at elevations of 600 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from March to July, this delicate plant produces white to cream or pale pink flowers in small heads that open gracefully at night. Growing with slender branching stems 5 to 25 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive appearance with cobwebby gray hairs covering its proximal parts. Its leaves are intricately divided, with elliptic to ovate blades featuring 2 to 5 pairs of flat-tipped lobes and gland-pitted surfaces. The plant produces small fruits 5 to 6 millimeters long, topped with a delicate pappus of 8 unequal scales.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; key features are large night-opening flowers and nodding buds
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open, silty, often gravel-covered, calcareous or alkaline soils
Elevation: 600-2200 m
Outside California: to southeastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho, southeastern Utah, central Arizona
Bloom period
Chaenactis macrantha blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Eriophyllum: Eriophyllum has obvious yellow ray flowers; Chaenactis completely lacks rays; vs Lasthenia: Lasthenia has bright yellow rays; Chaenactis rayless with white/purple tubular flowers only; vs Malacothrix: Malacothrix has all strap-shaped flowers and milky sap; Chaenactis all tubular, clear sap; vs Eriogonum: Eriogonum flowers have 6 segments in ball-like clusters; Chaenactis typical composite heads; vs Uropappus: Uropappus has all strap-shaped yellow flowers; Chaenactis all tubular white/purple flowers
Frequently asked questions
Is Chaenactis macrantha native to California?
Yes. Chaenactis macrantha is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Chaenactis macrantha bloom?
Chaenactis macrantha blooms Mar-Jul.
What plant family does Chaenactis macrantha belong to?
Chaenactis macrantha is in the Asteraceae family, genus Chaenactis.
What habitat does Chaenactis macrantha grow in?
Chaenactis macrantha grows in Open, silty, often gravel-covered, calcareous or alkaline soils.
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.