Chloracantha spinosa var. spinosa

Spiny goldenbush

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Spiny goldenbush is a California native perennial found in southern coastal, Peninsular, and desert regions in seeps, moist streamsides, and often saline or arid sites at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from May to December, this plant produces white ray flowers with yellow disk centers in radiate heads, with delicate white rays that curl when dry. Growing 5 to 15 decimeters tall with erect stems that are sometimes fleshy and armed with thorns, it develops from a stout rhizome. Its alternate leaves are oblanceolate, 10 to 50 millimeters long, generally entire, and early-deciduous. The fruit features white to golden-brown seeds with distinctive barbed bristles arranged in two series.

Habitat: Seeps, moist streamsides, often saline or arid sites

Bloom period: May-Dec

Elevation: < 1300 m

Bioregions: SCo, PR, DSon

California counties: Imperial, San Bernardino, Riverside, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Diego

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