Malacothrix similis

Mexican malacothrix

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2A

Mexican malacothrix is a rare (CNPS 2A) California native annual found in southern California coastal areas and northern Channel Islands, specifically at Hueneme Beach and Santa Cruz Island, at elevations below 40 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces yellow flowers with ligules 2 to 4 millimeters long in clusters of multiple heads. Growing to 30 centimeters tall with 1 to 11 erect or ascending branches mostly divided from the base, it has a distinctively glabrous stem structure. Its leaves range from basal lance-linear with pinnate lobes to reduced cauline leaves that are nearly entire. This species is now presumed extinct in California, with historical collections dating back to 1925 and 1888.

Habitat: Presumed extinct in California; beaches, dunes

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 40 m

Bioregions: SCo (Hueneme Beach in 1925), n ChI (Santa Cruz Island in 1888)

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