Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila
(c) Jim Morefield, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by broad distribution including Bay Area, closely spaced coarse leaf segments, and non-glandular stems.
Small western hawksbeard is a California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada, northern Coast Ranges, Modoc Plateau, San Francisco Bay Area, western Transverse Ranges, and Great Basin in open pine woodland and serpentine slopes at elevations of 800 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces yellow flowers in clusters of 5 to 15 heads. Growing with stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall that are minutely fuzzy and not glandular, it forms a compact plant with distinctive foliage. Its leaves are 10 to 20 centimeters long with strongly toothed edges or pinnate lobes that are closely spaced and coarsely dentate. The fruit is brown and develops after the summer flowering period.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 23 sympatric species; distinguished by broad distribution including Bay Area, closely spaced coarse leaf segments, and non-glandular stems
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open pine woodland, serpentine slopes
Elevation: 800-1800 m
Outside California: to Canada, Montana, Utah
Bloom period
Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila blooms Jun-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Hypochaeris: Hypochaeris has mostly leafless stems with tiny bracts; Crepis has well-developed leaves up the stem.; vs Taraxacum: Taraxacum has all leaves basal with leafless stems; Crepis has leaves ascending the branched stem.; vs Agoseris: Agoseris has leafless flower stems from basal rosettes; Crepis has leafy branched stems.; vs Sonchus: Sonchus has clasping stem leaves with spiny margins; Crepis leaves are typically not clasping or spiny.; vs Helminthotheca: Helminthotheca has bristly leaves and bracts; Crepis typically lacks the dense bristly covering.
Frequently asked questions
Is Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila native to California?
Yes. Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila bloom?
Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila belong to?
Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila is in the Asteraceae family, genus Crepis.
What habitat does Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila grow in?
Crepis occidentalis subsp. pumila grows in Open pine woodland, serpentine slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.