Senecio quadridentatus
Cotton burnweed
(c) Christopher Stephens, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Christopher Stephens · licence
Family: Asteraceae · Type: Perennial · Not Native
Senecio quadridentatus (Cotton burnweed) is a non-native California perennial in the Asteraceae family, recognized by narrow linear leaves and coastal habitat.
Cotton burnweed is a naturalized perennial herb found in western Transverse Ranges and southern Coastal regions in disturbed areas of chaparral and coastal scrub at elevations below 570 meters. Flowering from January to July, this plant produces light yellow-green flower heads clustered in flat-topped arrangements with up to 200 individual heads. Growing 40 to 120 centimeters tall with multiple stems emerging from a taproot, it develops gray-tomentose stems that become somewhat glabrous with age. Its leaves are linear or lance-linear, 2.5 to 20 centimeters long and extremely narrow, with remotely minute teeth and margins slightly rolled under. The fruit is small, 2.5 to 3 millimeters long and covered with fine hairs between its ribbed surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; key features are narrow linear leaves and coastal habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas in chaparral, coastal scrub
Elevation: < 570 m
Outside California: Australia, New Zealand
Bloom period
Senecio quadridentatus blooms Jan-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Packera: Senecio has larger leaves (over 2.5 inches) and often black-tipped bracts; Packera has tiny leaves (under 1.5 inches) with green or reddish tips.; vs Sonchus: Senecio has yellow daisy flowers with a neat single row of bracts; Sonchus has dandelion-like flowers and milky sap when broken.; vs Dudleya: Senecio is in the sunflower family with daisy flowers; Dudleya is a succulent with thick fleshy leaves and star-shaped flowers.; vs Ericameria: Senecio has one main row of equal bracts around flower heads; Ericameria has 2-4 overlapping rows of unequal bracts.; vs Taraxacum: Senecio has branching stems with multiple flower heads; Taraxacum has leafless hollow stems with single dandelion-like heads.
Frequently asked questions
Is Senecio quadridentatus native to California?
No. Senecio quadridentatus is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Senecio quadridentatus bloom?
Senecio quadridentatus blooms Jan-Jul.
What plant family does Senecio quadridentatus belong to?
Senecio quadridentatus is in the Asteraceae family, genus Senecio.
What habitat does Senecio quadridentatus grow in?
Senecio quadridentatus grows in Disturbed areas in chaparral, coastal scrub.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.