Malacothrix incana

Dunedelion

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Dunedelion is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including central and southern California Coast, northern and southern Channel Islands, particularly San Nicolas Island, in coastal dune habitats at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering all year, this plant produces medium yellow flowers in heads 10 to 14 millimeters long with outermost ligules extending 5 to 10 millimeters. Growing up to 70 centimeters tall with a mounded form, it has branched stems that range from glabrous to densely hairy and develop a somewhat woody base. Its distinctive leaves are fleshy and spoon-shaped, with basal leaves being entire or having few wide lobes, while cauline leaves may have one to two pairs of blunt side lobes. The plant's unique adaptation to sandy coastal environments allows it to thrive in challenging dune ecosystems with its robust and flexible growth structure.

Habitat: Dunes

Bloom period: All year

Elevation: < 300 m

Bioregions: CCo, SCo, n ChI, s ChI (San Nicolas Island).

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