Lessingia micradenia var. micradenia

Tamalpais lessingia, Tamalpais Lessingia

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Tamalpais lessingia is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native annual found in northern San Francisco Bay region, specifically on Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, growing in thin, gravelly serpentine outcrops and roadcuts at elevations of 100 to 400 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces small white to pale lavender flowers with distinctive stalked glandular phyllaries. Growing with delicate stems typically 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms a slender, loosely branched annual herb. Its leaves feature marginal glands that may be present or absent, with fine, narrow blades that contribute to its delicate appearance. The plant's limited distribution and specific serpentine habitat make it a unique botanical treasure of the Mount Tamalpais ecosystem.

Habitat: Thin, gravelly soil of serpentine outcrops, roadcuts

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: 100-400 m

Bioregions: n SnFrB (Mount Tamalpais, Marin Co.).

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