Pentachaeta alsinoides

Tiny pygmy daisy

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Tiny pygmy daisy is a California native annual found in the North Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada Foothills, northern California Coast, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges in grassy areas, open woodland, and chaparral openings at elevations below 550 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces light yellow flowers with red-tipped petals in small heads, typically less than 1 millimeter long. Growing with delicate stems 3 to 14 centimeters tall, it forms dense clusters with hairy lower stems. Its tiny leaves are less than 3.5 centimeters long, only 1 millimeter wide, and sparsely hairy on the upper surface. Each plant can produce up to 200 flower heads, with distinctive ray flowers that are often reduced to small tubes.

Habitat: Grassy areas, open woodland, chaparral openings

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 550 m

Bioregions: NCoR, SNF, n CCo (San Francisco), SnFrB, SCoR, w WTR.

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