Malacothrix junakii

Junak's malacothrix

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Junak's malacothrix is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in the northern Channel Islands on Middle Anacapa Island in shallow ocean bluff habitats at elevations below 30 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces medium yellow flowers in open cluster-like inflorescences with ligules extending 3.5 to 5.5 millimeters. Growing with ascending to erect stems up to 30 centimeters tall, it branches from the base with glabrous, leafy stems. Its distinctive leaves include oblanceolate basal leaves with 2 to 4 pairs of lobes and distal leaves with 2 to 3 teeth or short acute lobes. The fruit is small, approximately 1.6 to 2 millimeters long with nearly equal ribs and minute irregular teeth.

Habitat: Shallow soils of ocean bluffs, open rocky areas

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: < 30 m

Bioregions: n ChI (Middle 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.