Eriophyllum latilobum

San mateo woolly sunflower, San Mateo Woolly Sunflower

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

San mateo woolly sunflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in central western San Francisco Bay region in San Mateo County, specifically in oak woodland at elevations of 100 to 150 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces yellow sunflower-like heads with ray flowers 6 to 10 millimeters long in clusters of 1 to 10 flower heads. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with subshrub characteristics, it develops woody stems that become increasingly glabrous with age. Its distinctive leaves are 2 to 6 centimeters long, diamond-shaped to roughly obovate, with deeply triangular lobes and a thin, glabrous upper surface. The fruit is 3 to 4 millimeters long with generally strigose angles and a minimal pappus.

Habitat: Generally oak woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 100-150 m

Bioregions: c-w SnFrB (San Mateo Co.).

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