Lessingia glandulifera var. tomentosa

Warner springs lessingia, Warner Springs Lessingia

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Warner springs lessingia is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in eastern Peninsular Ranges in Warner Springs, San Diego County grasslands and sandy hillsides at elevations around 900 meters. Flowering from August to November, this plant produces delicate flowers in clustered heads with 15 to 30 individual blooms. Growing with densely tomentose herbage and slender stems that reach up to 20 centimeters tall, it spreads across open grassland areas. Its leaves are small, measuring 0.2 to 2 centimeters long, with a soft, woolly texture that helps the plant retain moisture in dry habitats. The plant's flower heads feature phyllaries that are nearly glabrous or sparsely hairy, with style branch appendages measuring 0.3 to 0.6 millimeters long.

Habitat: Grassland, hillsides, roadsides, generally sandy soil

Bloom period: Aug-Nov

Elevation: 900 m

Bioregions: e PR (Warner Springs, San Diego Co.).

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