Malacothrix indecora

Santa cruz island malacothrix, Santa Cruz Island Malacothrix

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Santa cruz island malacothrix is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in northern Channel Islands (except Anacapa Island) in shallow ocean bluff soils and open rocky areas at elevations below 30 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces medium yellow flowers with outer ligules extending 1 to 4 millimeters beyond the involucre. Growing up to 12 centimeters tall with occasional specimens reaching 45 centimeters, it has erect or slightly prostrate stems that branch at and above the base. Its leaves are distinctively fleshy, with basal leaves being oblong or oblanceolate and cauline leaves obovate to spoon-shaped, often featuring 1 to 3 pairs of obtuse lobes. The plant forms few flower heads in cyme-like clusters, with an involucre 6 to 8 millimeters wide and glabrous outer phyllaries.

Habitat: Shallow soils of ocean bluffs, or open rocky areas

Bloom period: Apr-Sep

Elevation: < 30 m

Bioregions: n ChI (exc Anacapa Island).

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