Malperia tenuis

Brown turbans

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Brown turbans is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native annual found in southern California desert regions in sandy creosote-bush scrub at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from December to April, this plant produces white to pink-tinged flowers in small heads 8 to 14 millimeters long, arranged in open, cluster-like arrangements. Growing with erect, much-branched stems up to 40 centimeters tall and generally glabrous to slightly hairy, it has a delicate, open structure. Its leaves are linear, sessile, becoming alternate toward the stem tips, generally less than 5 centimeters long and entire. The fruit is a slender 3-millimeter structure with 5 ribs, topped by 3 bristles and small scales.

Habitat: Sandy creosote-bush scrub

Bloom period: Dec-Apr

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: SCo (extirpated), s DSon

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