Raillardella scaposa
Green leaved raillardella
no rights reserved · CC0
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Herb · Native
Raillardella scaposa (Green leaved raillardella) is a native California herb in the Asteraceae family, recognized by yellow radiate/discoid heads and glandular green leaves.
Green leaved raillardella is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Cascade Range Highlands in dry to wet meadows, open conifer forests, and semi-barren subalpine and alpine slopes at elevations of 2,000 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces yellow to orange-yellow flowers with ray blossoms 5 to 25 millimeters long. Growing 6 to 53 centimeters tall with slender stems, it forms compact clusters in alpine environments. Its leaves are primarily basal, linear to lanceolate, 1 to 16 centimeters long, and have a distinctive glandular surface occasionally marked by sparse, minute hairs. The plant produces fruits 4.5 to 10 millimeters long with pappus scales typically 8 to 30 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by yellow radiate/discoid heads and glandular green leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry to wet, often sandy sites, of meadows, open conifer forest, semi-barren subalpine and alpine slopes, flats
Elevation: 2000-3500 m
Outside California: Oregon, western Nevada
Bloom period
Raillardella scaposa blooms Jun-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 scaposa native to California?
Yes. Raillardella scaposa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Raillardella scaposa bloom?
Raillardella scaposa blooms Jun-Sep.
What plant family does Raillardella scaposa belong to?
Raillardella scaposa is in the Asteraceae family, genus Raillardella.
What habitat does Raillardella scaposa grow in?
Raillardella scaposa grows in dry to wet, often sandy sites, of meadows, open conifer forest, 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.