Lessingia micradenia var. glabrata

Smooth lessingia

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Smooth lessingia is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in southern San Francisco Bay region in Santa Clara County, specifically on serpentine outcrops and gravelly roadcuts at elevations of 100 to 500 meters. Flowering from August to October, this plant produces small yellow to white flowers in compact heads approximately 3 to 5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems up to 30 centimeters tall, it forms delicate branching structures with an open, somewhat sparse growth habit. Its leaves are characterized by smooth margins without stalked glands, with narrow, linear to lance-shaped blades that are relatively small and sparse along the stems. The plant's distinctive habitat on serpentine soils and its fine, delicate structure make it a unique component of California's specialized native plant communities.

Habitat: Serpentine outcrops, gravelly roadcuts

Bloom period: Aug-Oct

Elevation: 100-500 m

Bioregions: s SnFrB (Santa Clara Co.).

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