Madia citrigracilis
Shasta tarweed
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Madia citrigracilis (Shasta tarweed) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by high elevation, large pale yellow rays 6-8mm, and compressed fruits.
Shasta tarweed is a California native annual found in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau in forest or scrub openings at elevations of 1,400 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces pale yellow or green-yellow ray flowers with dark purple disk flowers in open, flat-topped clusters. Growing 25 to 60 centimeters tall with coarse to soft hairy stems that are glandular and often have lateral branches exceeding the main stem, it develops a distinctive branching habit. Its leaves are lanceolate to linear, 3 to 15 centimeters long and 2 to 14 millimeters wide, with a variable texture. The ray fruits are compressed, turning black or brown, occasionally mottled, and appear mostly beakless.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; distinguished by high elevation, large pale yellow rays 6-8mm, and compressed fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Openings in forest or scrub
Elevation: 1400-1900+ m
Outside California: Nevada
Bloom period
Madia citrigracilis blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Anisocarpus: Madia has absolutely no pappus on disk flowers; Anisocarpus has 5-21 scales forming a pappus on disk flowers.; vs Deinandra: Madia has ray fruits completely hidden by bracts and no disk pappus; Deinandra has exposed ray fruits and disk pappus present.; vs Layia: Madia has bright yellow rays and no disk pappus; Layia often has white or bicolored rays and hairy disk pappus.; vs Hemizonia: Madia has fruits completely wrapped by bracts; Hemizonia has fruits only partly enclosed by bracts.; vs Lagophylla: Madia has yellow rays and no pappus; Lagophylla has white rays and scale-like pappus on disk flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Madia citrigracilis native to California?
Yes. Madia citrigracilis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Madia citrigracilis bloom?
Madia citrigracilis blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Madia citrigracilis belong to?
Madia citrigracilis is in the Asteraceae family, genus Madia.
What habitat does Madia citrigracilis grow in?
Madia citrigracilis grows in Openings in forest or scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.