Lasthenia burkei
Burke's goldfields, Burke's Goldfields
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered
Lasthenia burkei (Burke's goldfields) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by distinctive hairy club-shaped fruits and short rays.
Burke's goldfields is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in southern North Coast Ranges Interior, including southern Mendocino, southern Lake, and northeastern Sonoma counties, in vernal pools and wet meadows at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces bright yellow ray flowers less than 6 millimeters long in distinctive hemispheric or obconic flower heads. Growing to less than 30 centimeters tall with simple or freely branched stems that are hairy, it forms delicate, linear leaves up to 5 centimeters long, which may be entire or have pinnate lobes. Its leaves are glabrous or slightly hairy, with flower heads featuring 7 to 16 persistent, hairy phyllaries surrounding a dome-shaped receptacle. The fruit is small, less than 1.5 millimeters long, club-shaped, and black to gray with generally one long awn and several short scales.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; distinctive hairy club-shaped fruits and short rays
Habitat and range
Habitat: Vernal pools, wet meadows
Elevation: < 500 m
Bloom period
Lasthenia burkei blooms Apr-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered
How to tell it apart
vs Monolopia: Monolopia has alternate leaves; Lasthenia has opposite leaves throughout most of stem.; vs Eriophyllum: Eriophyllum is woolly-hairy; Lasthenia is smooth or only slightly hairy.; vs Ranunculus: Ranunculus has separate shiny petals and divided basal leaves; Lasthenia has composite flower heads.; vs Pseudobahia: Pseudobahia leaves are alternate above; Lasthenia leaves remain opposite throughout.; vs Blennosperma: Blennosperma has phyllaries fused into a cup; Lasthenia has separate overlapping phyllaries.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lasthenia burkei native to California?
Yes. Lasthenia burkei is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lasthenia burkei bloom?
Lasthenia burkei blooms Apr-Jun.
What plant family does Lasthenia burkei belong to?
Lasthenia burkei is in the Asteraceae family, genus Lasthenia.
Is Lasthenia burkei rare or endangered?
Lasthenia burkei carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Lasthenia burkei grow in?
Lasthenia burkei grows in Vernal pools, wet meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Lasthenia californica — California goldfields
- Lasthenia californica subsp. bakeri — Baker's goldfields
- Lasthenia californica subsp. californica — California goldfields
- Lasthenia californica subsp. macrantha — Perennial goldfields
- Lasthenia chrysantha — Alkali-sink goldfields
- Lasthenia conjugens — Contra costa goldfields
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.