Packera ionophylla
Tehachapi ragwort
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Packera ionophylla (Tehachapi ragwort) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by small fiddle-shaped leaves and tufted hairs on phyllary tips.
Tehachapi ragwort is a native perennial herb found in southern Sierra Nevada, San Gabriel Mountains, and San Bernardino Mountains in conifer woodland and rocky granitic areas at elevations of 1,400 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 8 to 10 millimeters long with numerous yellow disk flowers. Growing 15 to 30 centimeters tall with cobwebby to woolly stems that may become glabrous, it develops from a taprooted or creeping caudex. Its distinctive basal leaves are widely ovate or fiddle-shaped, pinnately lobed with 1 to 3 pairs of lateral lobes, measuring 1 to 3 centimeters long and wedge-shaped at the base. The plant's flower heads are radiate, with 8 to 13 ray flowers arranged in clusters of 3 to 6.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species. Distinguished by small fiddle-shaped leaves and tufted hairs on phyllary tips.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Conifer woodland, dry, rocky slopes, granitic outcrops
Elevation: 1400-3000 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura
Bloom period
Packera ionophylla blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Senecio: Packera has green or red bract tips and fibrous roots; Senecio often has black bract tips and taproots.; vs Jacobaea: Packera is native with soft-toothed leaf margins; Jacobaea is non-native with harder-edged leaves.; vs Arnica: Packera has alternate leaves and many small heads; Arnica has opposite leaves and fewer large heads.; vs Eriophyllum: Packera has green leaves with soft hairs; Eriophyllum has densely woolly gray-white leaves.; vs Eriogonum: Packera has yellow daisy flowers; buckwheat has ball-like clusters of tiny pink/white/yellow flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Packera ionophylla native to California?
Yes. Packera ionophylla is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Packera ionophylla bloom?
Packera ionophylla blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Packera ionophylla grow?
Packera ionophylla occurs in San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Ventura, at elevations of 1400-3000 m.
What plant family does Packera ionophylla belong to?
Packera ionophylla is in the Asteraceae family, genus Packera.
Is Packera ionophylla rare or endangered?
Packera ionophylla carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S4.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.