Nemacaulis sp.
Cottonheads, Cottonheads
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Trevor Van Loon · licence
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Annual · Native
Nemacaulis sp. (Cottonheads) is a native California annual in the Polygonaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Lastarriaea: Nemacaulis has many spine-less bracts creating cottony heads; Lastarriaea has only 3 spine-tipped bracts.; vs Hollisteria: Nemacaulis has many spine-less bracts; Hollisteria has 3-4 spine-tipped bracts.; vs Johanneshowellia: Nemacaulis has many bracts creating cottony flower heads; Johanneshowellia has 4-7 bracts without the cottony appearance.
Frequently asked questions
Is Nemacaulis sp. native to California?
Yes. Nemacaulis sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Nemacaulis sp. belong to?
Nemacaulis sp. is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Nemacaulis.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Nemacaulis denudata — Cottonheads
- Nemacaulis denudata var. denudata — Coast woolly-heads
- Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis — Slender cottonheads
- Oxyria digyna — Alpine mountain sorrel
- Oxyria sp. — Mountain sorrel
- Oxytheca dendroidea subsp. dendroidea — Tree-like puncturebract
- Oxytheca perfoliata — Round-leaf puncturebract
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.