Hesperevax acaulis
Dwarf evax
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Hesperevax acaulis (Dwarf evax) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family.
Dwarf evax is a California native annual found in low-elevation coastal and inland areas with sparse, open habitats. Flowering from March to May, this tiny plant produces small white to cream-colored flowers in compact heads approximately 2 to 4 millimeters wide. Growing with extremely short stems, typically prostrate or slightly erect and reaching only 7 centimeters tall, it forms delicate low-growing clusters. Its leaves are small and narrow, with distal leaves longer than proximal leaves and measuring 4 to 22 millimeters in length, generally less than 5 millimeters wide. Each plant produces 1 to 10 stems with distinctive bell-shaped flower clusters subtended by 6 to 12 small leaves.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated from all congeners
Habitat and range
California counties: El Dorado, Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Tulare, Merced, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Kern, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Fresno
How to tell it apart
vs Ancistrocarphus: Hesperevax has erect, flat, blunt-tipped bracts; Ancistrocarphus has inward-hooked spine-like tips.; vs Filago: Hesperevax has heads nestled in leaf clusters; Filago has cone-shaped heads on visible stems.; vs Logfia: Hesperevax has flat-tipped erect bracts; Logfia has mushroom-shaped heads with spreading outer bracts.; vs Stylocline: Hesperevax has enlarged flat-tipped bracts; Stylocline has tiny heads hidden in dense woolly mats.; vs Micropus: Hesperevax lacks prominent petal-like bracts; Micropus has 4-6 conspicuous spoon-shaped outer bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hesperevax acaulis native to California?
Yes. Hesperevax acaulis is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Hesperevax acaulis grow?
Hesperevax acaulis occurs in El Dorado, Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Tulare and other counties.
What plant family does Hesperevax acaulis belong to?
Hesperevax acaulis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Hesperevax.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.