Hemizonia congesta subsp. congesta

Congested-headed hayfield tarplant, Congested-Headed Hayfield Tarplant

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Congested-headed hayfield tarplant is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges, southwestern North Coast Ranges, northern Central Coast, and western San Francisco Bay Area in grassy sites and marsh edges at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from May to November, this plant produces white ray flowers with distinct purple veining on the underside, arranged in tight, compact clusters. Growing with shaggy, glandular stems that have longer hairs along leaf margins, it reaches heights typical of slender annual herbs. Its leaves are characterized by variable hair coverage, with distal leaves often having longer marginal hairs and sparse glandular surfaces. The fruit is compact, with a width approximately half its length.

Habitat: Grassy sites, marsh edges

Bloom period: May-Nov

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: s NCoRO, sw NCoRI, n CCo, w SnFrB.

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