Pentachaeta exilis

Meager pygmydaisy

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Meager pygmydaisy is a California native annual found in dry, open habitats at low elevations across the state's grasslands and coastal areas. Flowering from March to May, this diminutive plant produces delicate white to pink ray flowers less than 2 millimeters long, with yellow disk flowers tinged with red at the center. Growing with small, slender stems 2 to 15 centimeters tall, the plant emerges with soft hairs near the base and below the flower heads. Its tiny leaves are less than 3.2 centimeters long and only 1 millimeter wide, sparsely hairy on the upper surface and smooth underneath. Each plant can produce up to 23 flower heads with soft, shaggy-hairy stalks, creating a delicate and intricate appearance in its native grassland habitat.

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