Psilocarphus brevissimus var. brevissimus

Dwarf woollyheads, Dwarf Woollyheads

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Dwarf woollyheads is a California native annual found in the California Floristic Province, excluding certain regions, and the Modoc Plateau at elevations of 10 to 2,500 meters, typically growing in drying edges of vernal pools, mud flats, and seasonal drainages. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces small, spheric woolly heads approximately 6 to 9 millimeters long with delicate white to pale cream-colored flowers. Growing with stems 1 to 10 centimeters tall, it forms a generally woolly plant with compact growth habit. Its leaves are relatively short, typically 8 to 15 millimeters long and 1.5 to 4 times wider than their length, providing a soft, dense appearance. The plant's distinctive paleae (scale-like structures) are obovoid, with wings covering at least two-thirds of their length, giving the tiny woollyheads a unique textural quality.

Habitat: Drying edges of vernal pools, mud flats, drainages

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 10-2500 m

Bioregions: CA-FP (exc c&amps SNH, Teh, ChI, SnGb, SnJt), MP (exc Wrn)

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