Madia exigua
Little tarweed
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Madia exigua (Little tarweed) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by tiny size, thread-like peduncles, minute rays 0.4-1mm, and curved-beaked fruits.
Little tarweed is a California native annual herb found in the California Floristic Province, including grasslands, open areas, and disturbed sites with sandy or clayey soils at elevations of 30 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces pale yellow ray flowers with golden yellow glandular heads that are small and not particularly showy. Growing with slender stems 1 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant is characterized by coarse and glandular-hairy stems with occasional lateral branches that may exceed the main stem. Its leaves are extremely narrow, linear, and measuring just 0.2 to 4 centimeters long and 0.5 to 2 millimeters wide. The fruit is distinctive, with ray fruits that are compressed, strongly arched, and black or brown with a curved beak.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; distinguished by tiny size, thread-like peduncles, minute rays 0.4-1mm, and curved-beaked fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy, open, or disturbed sites, in sandy or clayey soils, including serpentine
Elevation: 30-2500 m
Outside California: to British Columbia, Montana, Nevada, Baja California
Bloom period
Madia exigua 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 exigua native to California?
Yes. Madia exigua is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Madia exigua bloom?
Madia exigua blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Madia exigua belong to?
Madia exigua is in the Asteraceae family, genus Madia.
What habitat does Madia exigua grow in?
Madia exigua grows in Grassy, open, or disturbed sites, in sandy or clayey soils, including serpentine.
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.