Monoptilon bellidiforme

Small desert star

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Small desert star is a California native annual found in the Mojave Desert in sandy flats and washes at elevations of 500 to 1,450 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces white ray flowers with yellow disk centers, creating delicate daisy-like blooms about 1 centimeter wide. Growing with compact stems less than 6 centimeters tall, it forms low, spreading clusters across sandy desert landscapes. Its leaves are small and oblanceolate, measuring 4 to 10 millimeters long with rounded tips, creating a soft, understated green backdrop to its delicate flowers. The tiny fruit is approximately 1.5 to 2 millimeters long, contributing to this diminutive desert wildflower's subtle charm.

Habitat: Sandy flats, washes

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 500-1450 m

Bioregions: DMoj

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