Pentachaeta aurea subsp. aurea

Golden-rayed pentachaeta, Golden-Rayed Pentachaeta

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Golden-rayed pentachaeta is a California native annual found in southern California coastal areas, the San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in grassy areas, scrub, woodland, and conifer forest at elevations below 2,250 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces distinctive yellow to brown-orange ray flowers in heads 14 to 52 millimeters long. Growing with delicate branching stems typically 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it spreads in open, sunny habitats. Its leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, arranged alternately along the stem, providing a subtle green backdrop to its bright floral display. The small fruits are typical of annual daisy-like plants, dispersing seeds to continue the plant's annual lifecycle.

Habitat: Grassy areas, scrub, woodland, conifer forest

Bloom period: Mar-Jul

Elevation: < 2250 m

Bioregions: SCo, SnGb, SnBr, PR

California counties: San Diego, Riverside

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