Madia citriodora
Lemon scented tarweed
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Madia citriodora (Lemon scented tarweed) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by lemon scent, triangular glossy fruits, and disk flowers being staminate only.
Lemon scented tarweed is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, Sacramento Valley, and Modoc Plateau in open or disturbed sites, often on stony or clayey soils at elevations of 30 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces green-yellow ray flowers 4 to 11 millimeters long with dark purple disk flowers in open, flat-topped clusters. Growing 10 to 70 centimeters tall with lateral branches often exceeding the main stem, it has stems that are soft to coarse-hairy proximally and glandular-hairy distally, with distinctive purple glands. Its linear leaves are 2 to 9 centimeters long and 1 to 10 millimeters wide, arranged along the stem with varying hairiness. The fruit is black or brown, glossy, and widely three-angled with a nearly beakless appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; distinguished by lemon scent, triangular glossy fruits, and disk flowers being staminate only
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open or disturbed sites, often stony or clayey soils
Elevation: 30-1600 m
Outside California: to Washington, Nevada
Bloom period
Madia citriodora blooms Apr-Jul.
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 citriodora native to California?
Yes. Madia citriodora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Madia citriodora bloom?
Madia citriodora blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Madia citriodora belong to?
Madia citriodora is in the Asteraceae family, genus Madia.
What habitat does Madia citriodora grow in?
Madia citriodora grows in Open or disturbed sites, often stony or clayey soils.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · 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.