Plecostachys serpyllifolia

Petite-licorice

Family: Asteraceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Petite-licorice is a naturalized shrub found in the central and southern California Coast bioregions on sea bluffs, coastal wetlands, and saline soils at elevations below 350 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces small white or cream-colored flowers in dense heads of 20 to 50 clusters. Growing with spreading, leafy stems 30 to 150 centimeters tall, it forms an open and expansive growth habit. Its leaves are relatively small, measuring 4 to 9 millimeters long, with an elliptical to rounded shape that becomes increasingly smooth on the upper surface with age. When mature, the plant produces tiny brown fruits approximately 0.7 to 0.8 millimeters long, accompanied by a delicate pappus 2 to 2.5 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Sea bluffs, grassy areas, coastal wetlands, strand, saline or alkaline soils, escaped from cultivation

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: < 350 m

Bioregions: CCo, SCo

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