Pentachaeta aurea
Golden chaetopappa
(c) Millie Basden, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Millie Basden · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Pentachaeta aurea (Golden chaetopappa) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by Showy yellow-orange rays 3--12 mm; largest-flowered *Pentachaeta*, S CA (SCo/SnGb/SnBr/PR).
Golden chaetopappa is a California native annual found in dry, open habitats at low to moderate elevations. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces yellow to brown-orange ray flowers 3 to 12 millimeters long, with yellow disk flowers clustered in heads up to 22 per plant. Growing with delicate stems 5 to 36 centimeters tall that are short-hairy, it has slender leaves less than 5.5 centimeters long and about 3 millimeters wide. Its leaves are glabrous to sparsely hairy on the upper surface, with varying hairiness on the lower surface. The fruit is characterized by 5 to 8 pappus bristles that are expanded at the base.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Showy yellow-orange rays 3--12 mm; largest-flowered *Pentachaeta*, S CA (SCo/SnGb/SnBr/PR)
How to tell it apart
vs Lasthenia: Pentachaeta has only 1-5 female flowers per head; Lasthenia has many more female flowers.; vs Thymophylla: Pentachaeta is non-glandular and unscented; Thymophylla is strongly aromatic with glands.; vs Eriophyllum: Pentachaeta has thread-like delicate stems; Eriophyllum has sturdier stems and woolly coating.; vs Bebbia: Pentachaeta is tiny delicate annual; Bebbia is woody shrub with nearly leafless stems.; vs Hazardia: Pentachaeta is thread-like delicate annual; Hazardia is woody leafy shrub.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pentachaeta aurea native to California?
Yes. Pentachaeta aurea is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Pentachaeta aurea belong to?
Pentachaeta aurea is in the Asteraceae family, genus Pentachaeta.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.