Layia gaillardioides

Woodland layia

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Woodland layia is a California native annual found in coastal and central California bioregions including northern Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, and coastal areas of San Luis Obispo County in open or semi-shaded slopes at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to August, this plant produces yellow flowers with rays 3.5 to 18 millimeters long, often with white or pale-yellow tips. Growing 6 to 60 centimeters tall with ascending purple-streaked stems that are glandular and often strongly scented, it has a distinctive appearance. Its leaves range from linear to lanceolate, with proximal leaves that may be serrate or lobed up to halfway to the midvein. The disk flowers feature dark purple anthers, creating an intricate floral display with 14 to 100 individual disk flowers.

Habitat: Open or semi-shaded slopes, in sandy or clayey soil (including serpentine)

Bloom period: Mar-Aug

Elevation: < 1300 m

Bioregions: NCo, NCoRO, NCoRI, CCo (Marin Co.), SnFrB, SCoRO (Old Creek, San Luis Obispo Co.), SCoRI.

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