Malacothrix glabrata

Desert dandelion

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Desert dandelion is a California native annual found in the San Joaquin Valley, southern Coast Ranges, western Transverse Ranges, eastern Sierra Nevada, and Mojave Desert in coarse soils of open desert areas and foothill woodlands at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces pale yellow to white flowers with long ligules reaching 9 to 13 millimeters, creating delicate clusters on slender peduncles. Growing up to 50 centimeters tall with multiple erect to ascending stems that are glabrous and slightly bluish-green, it develops a branching structure from its base. Its basal leaves are distinctively lobed with narrow, wide-spreading segments up to 3 centimeters long, while lower leaves feature 3 to 6 pairs of well-spaced teeth or elongated narrow lobes. The fruit is 2 to 3.3 millimeters long with irregular teeth and short bristles.

Habitat: Coarse soils in open areas or among shrubs in desert areas, foothill woodland

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 2000 m

Bioregions: SnJV, SCoRO, WTR, SNE, D

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