Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia

Cliff desertdandelion

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Cliff desertdandelion is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, southern Coast Ranges, southern California Coast, southern Channel Islands, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges in coastal scrub, chaparral, and foothill woodland at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to pale yellow flowers in heads with delicate, daisy-like petals. Growing with slender stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it emerges generally from a woody caudex and remains sparsely leafy near its flower heads. Its narrow leaves are often toothed with sharp lobes and acute tips, giving the plant a distinctive, delicate appearance. The plant is generally glabrous, with an open and airy growth habit typical of desert dandelion species.

Habitat: Canyons, coastal scrub, chaparral, foothill woodland

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 2000 m

Bioregions: s SNF, SCoRO, SCo, s ChI (Santa Catalina Island introduced on San Clemente, San Nicolas islands), TR, PR.

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