Pentachaeta lyonii

Lyon's pentachaeta

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Lyon's pentachaeta is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in central Southern California coastal regions, Santa Catalina Island, and western Transverse Ranges in coastal scrub, grassland, and chaparral openings at elevations below 400 meters. Flowering from March to August, this plant produces yellow ray flowers 3 to 8 millimeters long, arranged in heads with up to 36 flower clusters. Growing with slender stems 15 to 48 centimeters tall, the plant is notably hairy, particularly near the flower heads and stem nodes. Its leaves measure up to 5.5 centimeters long and 6 millimeters wide, with hairy upper surfaces and smooth undersides. The fruit is characterized by 8 to 12 pappus bristles that are slightly expanded at the base.

Habitat: Coastal scrub, grassland, chaparral openings

Bloom period: Mar-Aug

Elevation: < 400 m

Bioregions: c SCo (Ventura, Los Angeles cos.), s ChI (Santa Catalina Island), WTR.

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