Raillardella argentea
Silky raillardella
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Matt Berger · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Raillardella argentea (Silky raillardella) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by discoid heads (no rays) and silky-hairy leaves.
Silky raillardella is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range high elevations, Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, Warner Mountains, and eastern Sierra Nevada in dry, open, gravelly sites within conifer forests and alpine slopes at elevations of 1,800 to 3,900 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces yellow disk flowers in heads 6 to 11 millimeters long. Growing as a compact plant 1 to 15 centimeters tall with a low-growing, clustered form, it develops silky-hairy basal leaves. Its leaves are oblanceolate, 0.7 to 8 centimeters long, with entire or minutely toothed edges, covered in soft silvery hairs. The fruit is 5 to 9.5 millimeters long, with a pappus of 16 to 30 scales.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; distinguished by discoid heads (no rays) and silky-hairy leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open, generally gravelly sites in conifer forests, semi-barren subalpine and alpine slopes, flats
Elevation: 1800-3900 m
Outside California: Oregon, western Nevada
Bloom period
Raillardella argentea blooms Jul-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Agoseris: Raillardella has clustered yellow ray flowers with multiple florets per head; Agoseris has dandelion-like single heads.; vs Erigeron: Raillardella has all-yellow flowers and basal leaves; Erigeron has white/purple rays and leafy stems.; vs Arnica: Raillardella keeps leaves in basal rosettes; Arnica has opposite pairs climbing up the stem.; vs Carlquistia: Raillardella has mostly basal leaves; Carlquistia has leaves well-distributed along the stem.; vs Trichoptilium: Raillardella is a high-elevation perennial with basal leaves; Trichoptilium is a desert annual with stem leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Raillardella argentea native to California?
Yes. Raillardella argentea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Raillardella argentea bloom?
Raillardella argentea blooms Jul-Sep.
What plant family does Raillardella argentea belong to?
Raillardella argentea is in the Asteraceae family, genus Raillardella.
What habitat does Raillardella argentea grow in?
Raillardella argentea grows in Dry, open, generally gravelly sites in conifer forests, semi-barren subalpine and alpine slopes, flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.