Psilocarphus tenellus
Slender woolly-marbles
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Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Psilocarphus tenellus (Slender woolly-marbles) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by habitat, leaf shape, and leaf-to-head ratio diagnostic.
Slender woolly-marbles is a California native annual found in the Central West Coast, Central Coast Ranges, San Francisco Bay Area, and Central California coastal valleys on dry, seasonally moist slopes and flats at elevations below 2,400 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces pale green to gray flowers in compact heads 3 to 5.5 millimeters in diameter. Growing with multiple stems 1 to 10 centimeters tall, the plant appears cobwebby to silky-textured with internodes generally 1 to 2 times the leaf length. Its leaves are spoon-shaped to obovate, typically 6 to 15 millimeters long and 2 to 5 times longer than their width, with distal leaves spreading. The fruit is small, approximately 0.7 to 1.2 millimeters long and club-shaped.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; habitat, leaf shape, and leaf-to-head ratio diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Dry, seasonally moist slopes, flats, burns, trails, rarely vernal pools
Elevation: < 2400 m
Outside California: to southwestern British Columbia, northern Idaho, northwestern Baja California
Bloom period
Psilocarphus tenellus blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Stylocline: Psilocarphus has opposite leaves; Stylocline has alternate leaves (may appear whorled).; vs Gnaphalium: Psilocarphus has opposite leaves and no pappus; Gnaphalium has alternate leaves and pappus present.; vs Pseudognaphalium: Psilocarphus has opposite leaves; Pseudognaphalium has alternate leaves.; vs Logfia: Psilocarphus has opposite leaves; Logfia has alternate leaves.; vs Micropus: Psilocarphus lacks prominent petal-like bracts; Micropus has 4-6 conspicuous spoon-shaped outer bracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Psilocarphus tenellus native to California?
Yes. Psilocarphus tenellus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Psilocarphus tenellus bloom?
Psilocarphus tenellus blooms Mar-Jul.
What plant family does Psilocarphus tenellus belong to?
Psilocarphus tenellus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Psilocarphus.
What habitat does Psilocarphus tenellus grow in?
Psilocarphus tenellus grows in Common. Dry, seasonally moist slopes, flats, burns, trails, rarely vernal pools.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Psilocarphus brevissimus — Short woollyheads
- Psilocarphus brevissimus var. brevissimus — Dwarf woollyheads
- Psilocarphus brevissimus var. multiflorus — Delta woolly-marbles
- Psilocarphus chilensis — Round woolly-marbles
- Psilocarphus elatior — Tall woolly-marbles
- Psilocarphus oregonus — Oregon woollyheads
- Psilostrophe cooperi — Cooper's paper daisy
- Psilostrophe sp. — Paper-daisy
- Pulicaria paludosa — Spanish false fleabane
- Pulicaria sp. — False-fleabane
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.