Layia heterotricha

Pale-yellow layia

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Pale-yellow layia is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, Tehachapi, eastern and western edges of San Joaquin Valley, southern Coast Ranges, and northern Western Transverse Ranges in open clayey or sandy soil at elevations of 200 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces white or cream ray flowers up to 24 millimeters long with yellow to brownish disk flowers in heads 6 to 13 millimeters wide. Growing 13 to 90 centimeters tall with stout, often hollow stems that are glandular and have an apple or banana-like scent, the plant has a distinctive growth habit. Its leaves are less than 12 centimeters long, elliptic to ovate, often clasping, with proximal leaves entire or with minute teeth. The ray fruits are generally glabrous with a pappus of 14 to 20 bristles that fall easily as a unit.

Habitat: Open clayey or sandy soil, sometimes +- alkaline

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 200-1800 m

Bioregions: s SNF, Teh, e&ampw edges SnJV, SCoR, n WTR.

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