Hesperevax caulescens
Hogwallow starfish, Hogwallow Starfish
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Hesperevax caulescens (Hogwallow starfish) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by distinctive dense head clustering.
Hogwallow starfish is a native annual herb found in the northern California Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, southern Coast Ranges, and southwestern Peninsular Ranges at elevations below 300 meters in vernal pool habitats and clay flats. Flowering from March to June, this delicate plant produces small white flowers in compact heads 3 to 5 millimeters wide, arranged in dense clusters of 10 to 40 groups. Growing with stems typically very short or occasionally up to 8 centimeters tall, the plant has erect to decumbent growth habit. Its leaves are distinctively longer toward the plant's tip, with blade lengths of 33 to 90 millimeters and widths of 7 to 20 millimeters, featuring strongly thickened bases. The fruit is generally 1.5 to 2 millimeters long, reflecting the plant's diminutive and delicate nature.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 4 sympatric species; distinguished by distinctive dense head clustering
Habitat and range
Habitat: Declining. Drying shrink-swell clay of vernal pools, flats, steep slopes (sometimes serpentine)
Elevation: < 300(500) m
California counties: Butte, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Solano, Yuba, Tehama, Colusa, Contra Costa, Merced, Stanislaus, Sutter, Yolo, Glenn, Fresno, Kern, Alameda, Monterey, Tuolumne, Sacramento
Bloom period
Hesperevax caulescens blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
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 caulescens native to California?
Yes. Hesperevax caulescens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Hesperevax caulescens bloom?
Hesperevax caulescens blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Hesperevax caulescens grow?
Hesperevax caulescens occurs in Butte, San Diego, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Solano, Yuba, Tehama, Colusa and other counties, at elevations of < 300(500) m.
What plant family does Hesperevax caulescens belong to?
Hesperevax caulescens is in the Asteraceae family, genus Hesperevax.
Is Hesperevax caulescens rare or endangered?
Hesperevax caulescens carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.