Chaenactis stevioides
Desert pincushion
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Chaenactis stevioides (Desert pincushion) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by radiant heads with persistent nodal hairs.
Desert pincushion is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, southern San Joaquin Valley, south Coast Ranges, northern Transverse Ranges, Great Basin, and Desert regions in open sandy or gravelly flats and slopes at elevations of -30 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces white to pale pink or pale yellow flowers in radiant heads 3 to 20 per stem. Growing with slender stems 5 to 30 centimeters tall, it develops branching stems with cobwebby-silky grayish hairs persisting at nodes. Its leaves are 1 to 8 centimeters long with elliptic blades that are 1 to 2-pinnately lobed, featuring 4 to 8 pairs of lobes with curled and twisted tips. The fruit is 4 to 6.5 millimeters long with pappus scales 1.5 to 6 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 15 sympatric species; key features are radiant heads with persistent nodal hairs
Habitat and range
Habitat: Abundant in higher DMoj, SNE. Open sandy or gravelly flats, slopes
Elevation: -30-2100(2800) m
Outside California: to southeastern Oregon, southwestern Wyoming, western Colorado, southwestern New Mexico, northwestern Mexico
Bloom period
Chaenactis stevioides blooms Feb-Jun.
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 stevioides native to California?
Yes. Chaenactis stevioides is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Chaenactis stevioides bloom?
Chaenactis stevioides blooms Feb-Jun.
What plant family does Chaenactis stevioides belong to?
Chaenactis stevioides is in the Asteraceae family, genus Chaenactis.
What habitat does Chaenactis stevioides grow in?
Chaenactis stevioides grows in Abundant in higher DMoj, SNE. Open sandy or gravelly flats, slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Chaenactis suffrutescens — Shasta chaenactis; shasta pincushion
- Chaenactis xantiana — Fleshy pincushion
- Chaenactis alpigena — Sharsmith pincushion
- Chaenactis artemisiifolia — White pincushion
- Chaenactis carphoclinia — Pebble pincushion
- Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia — Pebble pincushion
- Chaetadelpha sp.
- Chaetadelpha wheeleri — Wheeler's dune-broom
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.