Monoptilon bellioides

Desert star

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Desert star is a California native annual found in the Desert bioregion in sandy flats and washes at elevations from 60 meters below sea level to 1,450 meters. Flowering from January to May, this plant produces white ray flowers with white disk centers, individual flower rays 5 to 8.5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems up to 25 centimeters tall, it forms delicate, low-spreading clusters. Its leaves are narrow and linear, 5 to 10 millimeters long, tapering to an obtuse or slightly pointed tip. The small fruit measures 1.5 to 2 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Sandy flats, washes

Bloom period: Jan-May(Sep)

Elevation: -60-1450 m

Bioregions: D

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