Eriophyllum mohavense

Barstow woolly sunflower

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Barstow woolly sunflower is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in the Mojave Desert in creosote-bush scrub at elevations of 500 to 800 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces yellow flowers in small, nearly sessile heads without ray flowers. Growing as a tiny, tufted annual just 1 to 2.5 centimeters tall, it spreads in loose, white-woolly clusters across the desert floor. Its small leaves, 3 to 10 millimeters long, are spoon- to wedge-shaped and may have 2 to 3 pointed lobes. The plant's distinctive involucre is 3 to 4 millimeters tall with 3 to 4 acute phyllaries, creating a delicate, compact structure in the harsh desert landscape.

Habitat: Creosote-bush scrub

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 500-800 m

Bioregions: DMoj.

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